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https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/dec/02/laser-reads-heartbeat-through-throat-could-replace-stethoscopes>
"Scientists have developed a laser camera that can read a person’s heartbeat at
a distance and pinpoint signs that they might be suffering from cardiovascular
illnesses.
The system – which exploits AI and quantum technologies – could transform the
way we monitor our health, say researchers at Glasgow University.
“This technology could be set up in booths in shopping malls where people could
get a quick heartbeat reading that could then be added to their online medical
records,” said Professor Daniele Faccio of the university’s Advanced Research
Centre.
“Alternatively laser heart monitors could be installed in a person’s house as
part of a system for monitoring different health parameters in a domestic
setting,” he said. Other devices would include monitors to track blood pressure
abnormalities or subtle changes in gait – an early sign of the onset of
Alzheimer’s disease.
Monitoring a person’s heartbeat from a distance would be particularly valuable
because irregularities – including murmurs or heartbeats that are too fast or
slow – would provide warning that they are in danger of suffering a stroke or
cardiac arrest, added Faccio.
At present, doctors use stethoscopes to monitor heartbeats. Invented in the
early 19th century by the French surgeon René Laënnec (to prevent him having to
put his ear on a female patient’s chest), a stethoscope consists of a
disk-shaped resonator which, when placed on a person’s body, picks up noises
occuring within their body. These are transmitted and amplified, via tubes and
earpieces, to the person listening.
“It requires training to use a stethoscope properly,” Faccio said. “If pressed
too hard on a patient’s chest, it will dampen heartbeat signals. At the same
time, it can be difficult to detect background murmurs, which provide key signs
of defects, that are going on behind the main heartbeat.”
The system developed by Faccio and his team involves high-speed cameras which
can record images at speeds of 2,000 frames per second. A laser beam is shone
on to the skin of a person’s throat and the reflections used to measure exactly
how much their skin is rising and falling as their main artery expands and
contracts as blood is forced through it. These changes involve movements of
only a few billionths of a metre."
Via Esther Schindler.
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
