New 4D technology may aid treatment for lung disease

 Scientists have developed a novel four-dimensional lung scanning technology that has the potential to transform treatment for millions of people with lung disease around the world.

The platform developed at Monash University in Australia by Professor Andreas Fouras has been commercialised by his medical technology company 4Dx.

Dr Rajeev Samarage, joint lead author from Monash's Laboratory for Dynamic Imaging said the technology would potentially help millions of people.
"With this technology, not only will clinicians have a clearer image of what is happening in the patient's lungs, but it is our aim to detect changes in lung function much earlier than in the past, which will allow clinicians to quantify the effects of treatment by simply comparing measurements from one scan to the next," said Samarage.

Fouras said the 4Dx pre-clinical scanner generates high-resolution images of lung-tissue motion and airflow throughout the lungs, which allows investigators to view and measure abnormal function in specific areas of the lung, before a disease progresses and spreads.

"Current tools are out of date and require two or three pieces of diagnostic information to piece together what is happening in someone's lungs.

"Our game-changing diagnostic tool offers images of the breathing lungs, making it possible to see what is really important - not what they look like - but how they work," Fouras said.

Professor Greg Snell, Head of Lung Transplant Service at the Alfred hospital in Melbourne said it was a significant step.

"This technology has great potential as a new tool for both early diagnosis and management of many very common lung conditions. I think this will be the start of a new way of thinking about diagnostic imaging," said Snell. The study was published in the journal Scientific Reports.