The DyNAMITe CMOS image sensor
As the husband of a breast-cancer survivor currently going through a second round with the nasty disease, this story last week really grabbed my attention. Scientists at the University of Lincoln in the UK have developed the largest CMOS image sensor, at 12.8 square cm or nearly 200 times the size of the chips you’d find in your average PC. Code-named “DyNAMITe” (short for Dynamic range Adjustable for Medical Imaging Technology), it can be made on the industry-standard 8-inch silicon wafer and was designed to withstand radiation for several years, making it perfect for the radiology and medical imaging market.
The impact of this technological leap will allow radiologists see tumors in much more detail, and at earlier stages leading to earlier diagnoses and treatment. This is something I can speak to from a personal level, as the current standard of mammograms are historically not very accurate (though about the best we can do at the moment). If this CMOS sensor is used in traditional mammography, the increased resolution (1280 x 1280 pixels on a 100-micron pitch coplanar with 2560 x 2560 pixels on a 50-micron pitch) and frame rates up to 90fps could show tumors before they develop large enough to begin to spread.
The other application would be for ongoing radiotherapy treatments, such as we’re undergoing (again) currently in our latest fight with cancer. The added resolution will allow for a closer monitoring of the impact of radiation on tumors, helping doctors adjust treatment plans sooner if they are not seeing the expected results from the radiation.
There’s no word when this tech will make it into hospitals and we can start to see the real world applications, but with this and other advances in medical treatments maybe a world without cancer isn’t such a far-away dream after all.
(Original press release from University of Lincoln , via Engadget)
