Getting the Jump on Infectious Diseases

Scientists at the Methodist Hospital Research Institute in Houston are in the early stages of deploying a unique imaging suite designed to help pinpoint the start and cause of highly infectious diseases. Researchers believe the initiative -- part of a collaboration with Philips Healthcare -- will help them diagnose patients much more quickly without exposing caregivers to infectious agents. The suite will be useful for diagnosing all types of infectious diseases, but could prove invaluable in acts of bioterrorism or a pandemic. Air-tight containment vessels that can accommodate life-support systems will make it possible for tissue samples and infected research models to be imaged rapidly without risks of exposure to other patients, researchers or staff.