Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 10, 1993 TAG: 9311100043
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: ATLANTA LENGTH: Medium
The technique uses ultrasound scans to produce the illusion of looking inside the heart. Though still in early development, doctors hope it will give them a new window on the heart and all the things that can go wrong with it.
Holograms seem to be almost everywhere, in art exhibits and on credit cards. They are widely used in science and industry, but until recently, little has been done with them in medicine.
Doctors from Boston's New England Medical Center displayed their heart holograms Tuesday at a meeting of the American Heart Association.
The doctors have made life-size images of the heart that are illuminated on a special viewing box. The picture appears to hover in front of the screen. Although shadowy, the valves, blood vessels and other structures are clearly visible inside.
Looking from the sides or above reveals details that cannot be seen head on. But perhaps its most intriguing feature is the mirage that the heart can be penetrated with the viewer's fingers.
"You can put your hand right inside it," said Dr. Natesa G. Pandian, who headed the research team.
The researchers believe the innovation, whose costs are not yet clear, will turn out to be more than a bit of technological dazzle.
They said the images could help doctors diagnose heart problems and figure out how to correct them. Because the images are life size, doctors can accurately measure the size of defects simply by putting a ruler on the screen.
"We have not proven it will definitely improve patient care on a day-to-day basis, but it looks promising," Pandian said.
by CNB