A team of researchers led by the University of Adelaide and University of Stuttgart has used 3D micro-printing to develop the world’s smallest, flexible scope for looking inside blood vessels.
A team of researchers led by the University of Adelaide and University of Stuttgart has used 3D micro-printing to develop the world’s smallest, flexible scope for looking inside blood vessels.
The camera-like imaging device can be inserted into blood vessels to provide high quality 3D images to help scientists better understand the causes of heart attack and heart disease progression, and could lead to improved treatment and prevention.
In a study published in the journal Light: Science & Applications , a multidisciplinary team of researchers and clinicians was able to 3D print a tiny lens on to the end of an optical fibre, the thickness of a human hair.
The imaging device is so small that researchers were able to scan inside the blood vessels of mice.
Read more at University of Adelaide
Image: Ultrathin 3D printed endoscope imaging an artery. (Credit: Image by Simon Thiele and Jiawen Li)
