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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Atlantic/Canary:20151217T103000
DTEND;TZID=Atlantic/Canary:20151217T113000
UID:iactalks-855
X-WR-CALNAME: IAC Talks: Open Astronomy Seminars
X-ORIGINAL-URL: /iactalks/Talks/view/855
CREATED:2015-12-17T10:30:00+00:00
X-WR-CALDESC: IAC Talks upcomming talks
SUMMARY:Can we leverage astrophysical technology in medicine?
DESCRIPTION:Can we leverage astrophysical technology in medicine?\nDr. Juan
  Ruiz Alzola\n\nEven though astrophysics and medicine seem far away from e
 ach other, they share instrumental features such that IAC could become an 
 important stakeholder for state-of-the-art medical technology conception. 
 In fact, as astrophysics, medicine is more than ever based on high-end tec
 hnology. Since R?tgen discovered the X radiation in 1895, there has been a
  continuous flow of knowledge and technology transfer from the basic scien
 ce laboratory to the clinical arena. Remarkably several Nobel prizes have 
 been awarded for research that turned out most useful for medical instrume
 ntation. Besides X-ray, computed tomography and magnetic resonance are pro
 minent examples. Astrophysics deals with electromagnetic radiation. Extrem
 ely sensitive sensors detect weak radiation across the electromagnetic spe
 ctrum in order to analyze its composition and features, as they provide re
 levant clues and information about the originating cosmic processes. In me
 dicine electromagnetic radiation is most relevant too, yet it doesn?t come
  from space but from the body under inspection. Such radiation can be emit
 ted by the body itself, due to its own temperature, or it can be originate
 d at an external source and then absorbed, reflected, transmitted or scatt
 ered by the body biological tissues. Different processes can be studied ac
 ross the electromagnetic spectrum providing not only relevant clues on the
  underlying biological processes, but important diagnostic and therapeutic
  information. The seminar will discuss similarities and differences betwee
 n astrophysical and medical technology, so as to leverage synergies betwee
 n both fields. To this extent instrumental methods in medicine based on el
 ectromagnetism will be reviewed, paying a particular attention to imaging 
 modalities. A main goal will be to identify instrumental modalities master
 ed in astrophysics but not used customarily used in medicine yet, which bo
 ast promising features for clinical applications: microwave and infrared t
 hermography, near infrared and hyper-spectral imaging are among them. A fi
 rst of such applications will be discussed: microwave and infrared thermog
 raphy for early detection and monitoring of diabetic foot complications. D
 iabetes is a global concern, with high morbility and cost. The WHO estimat
 es its prevalence about 9% globally. Prevalence in the Canary Islands is h
 igher, with estimates around 14% of the adult population. Vascular and neu
 ropathic complications are quite common, being diabetic foot most prominen
 t. Undetected complications can lead to serious infections and foot amputa
 tion. A low-cost passive system will be discussed for non-invasively detec
 ting temperature abnormalities using microwave and infrared thermography, 
 which correlate with early unnoticed symptoms. Currently available experie
 nce at IAC on microwave and far infrared sensor technology could be a majo
 r opportunity to design and build a practical prototype of such system, wh
 ich once clinically tested should be developed and globally marketed by th
 e industry, with royalties returned to IAC.
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