A 3D scanner being designed by Kiwi scientists could revolutionise x-ray technology and help detect diseases like cancer in a way never been done before.
A joint initiative called the MARS Programme - just backed by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) with "gold status" for research excellence - is building a spectral molecular scanner capable of producing colour images of objects inside the body such as bone, soft tissue and artificial joints.
The research team behind it - made up of experts from the University of Canterbury, University of Otago and the company MARS Bioimaging - says it could bring big benefits to healthcare.
"This spectral molecular imaging technology really is the next big medical imaging innovation, and these 3D images will provide clinicians with information that is currently not possible in CT, MRI or PET scans," said Professor Anthony Butler of the University of Canterbury.
The implications of the research would be "huge" for the medical profession.