Researchers from the Dept. of Physics, Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning, in collaboration with Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Medical Sciences, have created breakthrough technology to invent a portable, cost-effective and high-resolution Gamma Camera system – SAI-GC – for non-invasive cancer imaging. The research was led by Prof. S Siva Sankara Sai and Dr. Murali Ravi.
The gamma camera is an imaging technique used to carry out functional scans of the mammary, thyroid, kidneys and bone to identify any defects. Gamma scan is a diagnostic test in nuclear medicine, where radioisotopes are attached to drugs that travel to a specific organ or tissue are taken internally and the emitted gamma radiation is captured by gamma cameras to form images, a process similar to the capture of x-ray images – but with additional advantage of providing the functional information of the organ.
The project was funded by Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India. The prototype has passed the requirements with Clinical Validation on all the subjects that were part of the study. Based on the results of the study, an additional project of about ₹1.08 crores has been granted to the research group by the Dept. of Atomic Energy, Govt. of India, to make a fully handheld product for Sentinel Lymph Node Navigation surgery.
Clinical trials in thyroid scanning were conducted at Healthcare Global Enterprises (HCG) Ltd., a healthcare organization headquartered in Bangalore specializing in Cancer imaging, with positive results.
When it comes to market, this device (which offers superior imaging capabilities) will cost almost 8-10 times less than existing large field of view gamma cameras. It will help in identifying ailments related to thyroid, mammary glands, bone hotspots, sentinel lymph node navigation and excision for millions of people who currently cannot afford such medical care.
In India alone, it is estimated that 42 million people suffer from thyroid diseases. Early diagnosis and treatment remain the cornerstone of medical management.
The invention is covered by two patents.
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