Let's face it. Our computing devices are going faster year after year. But our laptop batteries don't show the same performance improvement. They still work only for a few hours, just a little bit more than ten years ago. Several companies want to change this, according to this UPI report, "Nanotechnology improving energy options." For example, mPhase Technologies plans to introduce smart batteries based on millions of silicon nanotube electrodes. These nanobatteries, to be introduced before the end of 2005, will last longer than traditional ones and will be respectful of our environment. Meanwhile, Konarka Technologies wants to reduce the weight of batteries with its flexible solar-fueled nanobatteries.
Let's start with the new battery nanotechnology from mPhase Technologies.
The company is seeking to develop a battery containing millions of silicon nanotube electrodes, sitting upright like a bed of nails. Atop each nanotube sits a droplet of electrolyte. The droplets rest atop the nanotubes without interacting, much like an Indian fakir can rest atop a nail bed. But when a voltage change pushes the droplets down into the spaces between the tubes, they react, causing current to flow. The droplet sits above the nanotubes with little or no interaction with the tubes themselves. But when it falls within the space between the tubes, they encounter a greatly increased surface area and interact with the tubes themselves, causing current to flow (Credit: mPhase Technologies).
"This can give them a very long storage life of years and years, by only activating when in use," explained Steve Simon, mPhase executive vice president for R&D. The silicon-based devices are compatible with semiconductor processes, are easy to miniaturize, have a quick ramp up to full power, are inexpensive to mass produce and have high power and energy density.
The nanobatteries also can contain droplets that can neutralize the often-toxic electrolytes when it comes time to dispose of them. "This green effect means when thrown away, it does not pollute the environment," Simon said.
Improving batteries performance is a good thing. Reducing their weight is another one. Do you know that special operations soldiers on battlefields can carry up to 70 pounds of batteries, or half of the weight of the quipment they have to bear? Konarka Technologies wants to reduce this.
Konarka Technologies of Lowell, Mass., makes plastic devices that absorb sunlight and indoor light and convert them into electrical energy.
The devices resemble gift-wrapping paper in their thinness and flexibility, and can be integrated into fabrics and roofs. They are made using nanoscale titanium dioxide particles coated in photovoltaic dyes. When light hits the dye, they generate electricity.
As you can see below, these photovoltaic materials can be incorporated into a wide range of products (Credit: Konarka Technologies).
"They're lightweight and flexible, more versatile than previous generations of solar cells," said Daniel McGahn, Konarka's executive vice president and chief marketing officer.
According to UPI, this company has serious backers, such as Electricité de France and ChevronTexaco.
For more information, the UPI report mentions other companies involved in batteries using nanotehnologies.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
This New Radar Can See Through Walls
According to Haaretz, an Israeli start-up has developed a new radar technology to see through walls. This radar system, based on UWB (ultra wideband) technology, can produce 3D images of what stays behind walls. The real breakthrough is that this system can be used from a distance of up to 20 meters, which will benefit rescuers as well as military personnel by providing useful information about the number of people inside a room, their locations and even their weapons. The newspaper adds that the images are of good quality, allowing the users of the system to follow what is happening behind the wall in real time. However, don't expect to get one today. The first devices are expected to be available within 18 months.
Here are some excerpts.
a small, Herzliya-based company called Camero is offering a solution: a radar system, based on UWB (ultra wideband) technology, that can produce three-dimensional pictures of what lies behind a wall, from a distance of up to 20 meters. The pictures, which resemble those produced by ultrasound, are relatively high-resolution. Although the figures are somewhat blurred, the system enables the user to follow what is happening behind the wall in real time.
"The company was born of urgent operational needs," said CEO Aharon Aharon -- and not only those of the military. "When disaster victims must be rescued from a collapsed building or a fire, time is of the essence," he explained. "Rescue forces often invest enormous resources and precious time in combing the rubble, or endanger their lives by entering the flames, even if it is not clear that there are any survivors behind the walls."
And here are some details about the technology, which also uses special software.
Camero was born at the Jerusalem Global venture capital fund (JVG), when Amir Be'eri, a former defense establishment employee associated with the fund (his most recent position was CEO of Infineon), developed a way to emit UWB radio waves. UWB was a new technology at the time, and it was necessary because ordinary radio waves do not provide high enough resolution to be useful. Yet radio waves are necessary because other types of waves do not pass through walls.
Another problem with radio waves is that they do not function well around metal. However, Camero has developed sophisticated software that enables its technology to work even on steel-reinforced concrete walls.
Apparently, the first devices will be ready within 18 months, a period during which Camero's competitor, Time Domain, will be able to sell its own technology.
Time Domain, which also uses UWB technology to see through walls, has been active for six months and is already selling millions of dollars worth of devices a year. But Camero's technology is superior in several important respects. First, it can be used from a distance of 20 meters, whereas Time Domain's product must be right next to the wall in question. Second, it gives a detailed picture of everything in the room, whereas Time Domain's product locates objects, but gives no information about their shape or size.
In "Israeli invention sees through walls," WorldNetDaily gives some details about other defense technologies developed in Israel.
Israeli firms are well known for developing revolutionary technology, particularly in the defense fields. El Al Airlines recently implemented a high-tech antimissile system developed by an Israeli firm, and Israel announced it developed a Star Wars-like remote control border with Gaza that uses unmanned sensor patrol cars and computerized observation posts to automatically spot and, upon human authorization, kill terrorists, even recommending the most appropriate weapon for the system to fire against a specified target.
In addition, an Israeli security source told WND that Israel recently developed proprietary technology that can discreetly put an electronic field around a building or area that gives users the ability to monitor and control every electronic emission within that field, from electronic can openers to fax machines, computers and cell phones.
Here are some excerpts.
a small, Herzliya-based company called Camero is offering a solution: a radar system, based on UWB (ultra wideband) technology, that can produce three-dimensional pictures of what lies behind a wall, from a distance of up to 20 meters. The pictures, which resemble those produced by ultrasound, are relatively high-resolution. Although the figures are somewhat blurred, the system enables the user to follow what is happening behind the wall in real time.
"The company was born of urgent operational needs," said CEO Aharon Aharon -- and not only those of the military. "When disaster victims must be rescued from a collapsed building or a fire, time is of the essence," he explained. "Rescue forces often invest enormous resources and precious time in combing the rubble, or endanger their lives by entering the flames, even if it is not clear that there are any survivors behind the walls."
And here are some details about the technology, which also uses special software.
Camero was born at the Jerusalem Global venture capital fund (JVG), when Amir Be'eri, a former defense establishment employee associated with the fund (his most recent position was CEO of Infineon), developed a way to emit UWB radio waves. UWB was a new technology at the time, and it was necessary because ordinary radio waves do not provide high enough resolution to be useful. Yet radio waves are necessary because other types of waves do not pass through walls.
Another problem with radio waves is that they do not function well around metal. However, Camero has developed sophisticated software that enables its technology to work even on steel-reinforced concrete walls.
Apparently, the first devices will be ready within 18 months, a period during which Camero's competitor, Time Domain, will be able to sell its own technology.
Time Domain, which also uses UWB technology to see through walls, has been active for six months and is already selling millions of dollars worth of devices a year. But Camero's technology is superior in several important respects. First, it can be used from a distance of 20 meters, whereas Time Domain's product must be right next to the wall in question. Second, it gives a detailed picture of everything in the room, whereas Time Domain's product locates objects, but gives no information about their shape or size.
In "Israeli invention sees through walls," WorldNetDaily gives some details about other defense technologies developed in Israel.
Israeli firms are well known for developing revolutionary technology, particularly in the defense fields. El Al Airlines recently implemented a high-tech antimissile system developed by an Israeli firm, and Israel announced it developed a Star Wars-like remote control border with Gaza that uses unmanned sensor patrol cars and computerized observation posts to automatically spot and, upon human authorization, kill terrorists, even recommending the most appropriate weapon for the system to fire against a specified target.
In addition, an Israeli security source told WND that Israel recently developed proprietary technology that can discreetly put an electronic field around a building or area that gives users the ability to monitor and control every electronic emission within that field, from electronic can openers to fax machines, computers and cell phones.
This New Radar Can See Through Walls
According to Haaretz, an Israeli start-up has developed a new radar technology to see through walls. This radar system, based on UWB (ultra wideband) technology, can produce 3D images of what stays behind walls. The real breakthrough is that this system can be used from a distance of up to 20 meters, which will benefit rescuers as well as military personnel by providing useful information about the number of people inside a room, their locations and even their weapons. The newspaper adds that the images are of good quality, allowing the users of the system to follow what is happening behind the wall in real time. However, don't expect to get one today. The first devices are expected to be available within 18 months.
Here are some excerpts.
a small, Herzliya-based company called Camero is offering a solution: a radar system, based on UWB (ultra wideband) technology, that can produce three-dimensional pictures of what lies behind a wall, from a distance of up to 20 meters. The pictures, which resemble those produced by ultrasound, are relatively high-resolution. Although the figures are somewhat blurred, the system enables the user to follow what is happening behind the wall in real time.
"The company was born of urgent operational needs," said CEO Aharon Aharon -- and not only those of the military. "When disaster victims must be rescued from a collapsed building or a fire, time is of the essence," he explained. "Rescue forces often invest enormous resources and precious time in combing the rubble, or endanger their lives by entering the flames, even if it is not clear that there are any survivors behind the walls."
And here are some details about the technology, which also uses special software.
Camero was born at the Jerusalem Global venture capital fund (JVG), when Amir Be'eri, a former defense establishment employee associated with the fund (his most recent position was CEO of Infineon), developed a way to emit UWB radio waves. UWB was a new technology at the time, and it was necessary because ordinary radio waves do not provide high enough resolution to be useful. Yet radio waves are necessary because other types of waves do not pass through walls.
Another problem with radio waves is that they do not function well around metal. However, Camero has developed sophisticated software that enables its technology to work even on steel-reinforced concrete walls.
Apparently, the first devices will be ready within 18 months, a period during which Camero's competitor, Time Domain, will be able to sell its own technology.
Time Domain, which also uses UWB technology to see through walls, has been active for six months and is already selling millions of dollars worth of devices a year. But Camero's technology is superior in several important respects. First, it can be used from a distance of 20 meters, whereas Time Domain's product must be right next to the wall in question. Second, it gives a detailed picture of everything in the room, whereas Time Domain's product locates objects, but gives no information about their shape or size.
In "Israeli invention sees through walls," WorldNetDaily gives some details about other defense technologies developed in Israel.
Israeli firms are well known for developing revolutionary technology, particularly in the defense fields. El Al Airlines recently implemented a high-tech antimissile system developed by an Israeli firm, and Israel announced it developed a Star Wars-like remote control border with Gaza that uses unmanned sensor patrol cars and computerized observation posts to automatically spot and, upon human authorization, kill terrorists, even recommending the most appropriate weapon for the system to fire against a specified target.
In addition, an Israeli security source told WND that Israel recently developed proprietary technology that can discreetly put an electronic field around a building or area that gives users the ability to monitor and control every electronic emission within that field, from electronic can openers to fax machines, computers and cell phones.
Here are some excerpts.
a small, Herzliya-based company called Camero is offering a solution: a radar system, based on UWB (ultra wideband) technology, that can produce three-dimensional pictures of what lies behind a wall, from a distance of up to 20 meters. The pictures, which resemble those produced by ultrasound, are relatively high-resolution. Although the figures are somewhat blurred, the system enables the user to follow what is happening behind the wall in real time.
"The company was born of urgent operational needs," said CEO Aharon Aharon -- and not only those of the military. "When disaster victims must be rescued from a collapsed building or a fire, time is of the essence," he explained. "Rescue forces often invest enormous resources and precious time in combing the rubble, or endanger their lives by entering the flames, even if it is not clear that there are any survivors behind the walls."
And here are some details about the technology, which also uses special software.
Camero was born at the Jerusalem Global venture capital fund (JVG), when Amir Be'eri, a former defense establishment employee associated with the fund (his most recent position was CEO of Infineon), developed a way to emit UWB radio waves. UWB was a new technology at the time, and it was necessary because ordinary radio waves do not provide high enough resolution to be useful. Yet radio waves are necessary because other types of waves do not pass through walls.
Another problem with radio waves is that they do not function well around metal. However, Camero has developed sophisticated software that enables its technology to work even on steel-reinforced concrete walls.
Apparently, the first devices will be ready within 18 months, a period during which Camero's competitor, Time Domain, will be able to sell its own technology.
Time Domain, which also uses UWB technology to see through walls, has been active for six months and is already selling millions of dollars worth of devices a year. But Camero's technology is superior in several important respects. First, it can be used from a distance of 20 meters, whereas Time Domain's product must be right next to the wall in question. Second, it gives a detailed picture of everything in the room, whereas Time Domain's product locates objects, but gives no information about their shape or size.
In "Israeli invention sees through walls," WorldNetDaily gives some details about other defense technologies developed in Israel.
Israeli firms are well known for developing revolutionary technology, particularly in the defense fields. El Al Airlines recently implemented a high-tech antimissile system developed by an Israeli firm, and Israel announced it developed a Star Wars-like remote control border with Gaza that uses unmanned sensor patrol cars and computerized observation posts to automatically spot and, upon human authorization, kill terrorists, even recommending the most appropriate weapon for the system to fire against a specified target.
In addition, an Israeli security source told WND that Israel recently developed proprietary technology that can discreetly put an electronic field around a building or area that gives users the ability to monitor and control every electronic emission within that field, from electronic can openers to fax machines, computers and cell phones.
'Space-cooled' jackets down to Earth
Several technologies used to design the space suits protecting astronauts are now being adapted to protect workers facing extremely hot and dangerous conditions. According to the European Space Agency (ESA), these 'space-cooled' jackets are using three different technologies: special 3D-textile structure, cooling apparatus derived from astronauts' suits, and a special water-binding polymer acting as a coating. Even if these protective clothes are primarily intended for firefighters or steel workers, several applications are possible, such as in sportswear or in cars as parts of air conditioning systems.
Here are the goals of this project, explained by Stefano Carosio from the Italian company D'Appolonia.
"Through this project, named Safe&Cool, we are developing a special protective material with a built-in cooling system based on the technology developed for the space suits used by astronauts on the International Space Station to prevent them from overheating when exposed to direct sunlight during space walks."
And for this project, the members of the consortium used several technologies.
Firstly a special 3D-textile structure is used in the thermal and moisture management layer to replace the interliner and moisture barrier of classical three-layered protective clothing.
The second technology is the cooling apparatus derived from astronauts' suits. This enables liquid to be circulated through tubing inserted in cavities in the 3D-textile structure, creating 'blood vessels' for heat removal. A water-binding polymer is the third technology and this will be added either as a coating or in the form of a powder dispersed inside the fabrics.
Below is a picture showing the three technologies described above (Credit: Safe&Cool Project Consortium).
And the picture below shows a detail of the cooling apparatus derived from astronauts' suits: the cooling tubes are weaved into the improved textiles developed by the Safe&Cool project (Credit: Safe&Cool Project Consortium).
But what will be the usage of such suits?
Although the immediate application for the Safe&Cool innovative thermal management system is to create clothing to protect those working in harsh environments, such as firefighters and steel workers, several other promising applications have been identified by the consortium, including use in sportswear and transportation. The Polish company TAPS, which is part of the consortium, is already testing the industrial viability of inserting the system as heating or conditioning elements inside passenger seats in cars and public transport.
For other illustrations about this technology, you might want to check this page on the ESA Portal, from which the two images above have been picked. You also can look at a previous story featuring a cooling jacket for astronauts using the technology described above.
Here are the goals of this project, explained by Stefano Carosio from the Italian company D'Appolonia.
"Through this project, named Safe&Cool, we are developing a special protective material with a built-in cooling system based on the technology developed for the space suits used by astronauts on the International Space Station to prevent them from overheating when exposed to direct sunlight during space walks."
And for this project, the members of the consortium used several technologies.
Firstly a special 3D-textile structure is used in the thermal and moisture management layer to replace the interliner and moisture barrier of classical three-layered protective clothing.
The second technology is the cooling apparatus derived from astronauts' suits. This enables liquid to be circulated through tubing inserted in cavities in the 3D-textile structure, creating 'blood vessels' for heat removal. A water-binding polymer is the third technology and this will be added either as a coating or in the form of a powder dispersed inside the fabrics.
Below is a picture showing the three technologies described above (Credit: Safe&Cool Project Consortium).
And the picture below shows a detail of the cooling apparatus derived from astronauts' suits: the cooling tubes are weaved into the improved textiles developed by the Safe&Cool project (Credit: Safe&Cool Project Consortium).
But what will be the usage of such suits?
Although the immediate application for the Safe&Cool innovative thermal management system is to create clothing to protect those working in harsh environments, such as firefighters and steel workers, several other promising applications have been identified by the consortium, including use in sportswear and transportation. The Polish company TAPS, which is part of the consortium, is already testing the industrial viability of inserting the system as heating or conditioning elements inside passenger seats in cars and public transport.
For other illustrations about this technology, you might want to check this page on the ESA Portal, from which the two images above have been picked. You also can look at a previous story featuring a cooling jacket for astronauts using the technology described above.
Ten Emerging Technologies That Will Affect Our Lives
This is the time of the year when Technology Review publishes its forecasts about ten emerging technologies which will change our world some day. This year's batch includes Bayesian machine learning, RNA interference or microfluidic optical fibers. But last year's list included injectable tissue engineering or nanoimprint lithography, which didn't really change the world in 2003. So read this list with a grain of salt.
Let's start with the introduction.
With new technologies constantly being invented in universities and companies across the globe, guessing which ones will transform computing, medicine, communication, and our energy infrastructure is always a challenge. Nonetheless, Technology Review’s editors are willing to bet that the 10 emerging technologies highlighted in this special package will affect our lives and work in revolutionary ways -- whether next year or next decade. For each, we’ve identified a researcher whose ideas and efforts both epitomize and reinvent his or her field.
Here is the full list.
Universal Translation, with Yuqing Gao, from IBM
Synthetic Biology, with Ron Weiss, from Princeton University
Nanowires, with Peidong Yang of the University of California, Berkeley
Bayesian Machine Learning, with Daphne Koller, from Stanford University
T-Rays, with Don Arnone, from Toshiba’s research labs in Cambridge, England
Distributed Storage, with Hari Balakrishnan, from the MIT
RNA Interference, with Thomas Tuschl, formerly from the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Germany, and now at Rockefeller University in New York City
Power Grid Control, with Christian Rehtanz, from Switzerland-based engineering giant ABB
Microfluidic Optical Fibers, with John Rogers, from the University of Illinois
Personal Genomics, with David Cox, chief scientific officer of Perlegen Sciences in Mountain View, CA
Here is the last paragraph of the article about nanowires.
Difficult tasks remain, such as making electrical connections between the minuscule wires and the other components of any system. Still, Peidong Yang of the University of California, Berkeley, estimates there are now at least 100 research groups worldwide devoting significant time to overcoming such obstacles, and commercial development efforts have already begun. Last year, Intel, which is working with Lieber, revealed that nanowires are part of its long-term chip planning. Smaller firms such as Nanosys and QuMat Technologies, a startup now renting space at Lund University in Sweden, are betting that nanowires will be essential components of the products they hope to sell one day, from sensors for drug discovery and medical diagnosis to flat-panel displays and superefficient lighting.
And here is a short excerpt about Bayesian statistics.
Programs that employ Bayesian techniques are already hitting the market: Microsoft Outlook 2003, for instance, includes Bayesian office assistants. English firm Agena has created Bayesian software that recommends TV shows to satellite and cable subscribers based on their viewing habits; Agena hopes to deploy the technology internationally. "These things sound far out," says Microsoft researcher Eric Horvitz, who is a leading proponent of probabilistic methods. "But we are creating usable tools now that you’ll see in the next wave of software."
Let's start with the introduction.
With new technologies constantly being invented in universities and companies across the globe, guessing which ones will transform computing, medicine, communication, and our energy infrastructure is always a challenge. Nonetheless, Technology Review’s editors are willing to bet that the 10 emerging technologies highlighted in this special package will affect our lives and work in revolutionary ways -- whether next year or next decade. For each, we’ve identified a researcher whose ideas and efforts both epitomize and reinvent his or her field.
Here is the full list.
Universal Translation, with Yuqing Gao, from IBM
Synthetic Biology, with Ron Weiss, from Princeton University
Nanowires, with Peidong Yang of the University of California, Berkeley
Bayesian Machine Learning, with Daphne Koller, from Stanford University
T-Rays, with Don Arnone, from Toshiba’s research labs in Cambridge, England
Distributed Storage, with Hari Balakrishnan, from the MIT
RNA Interference, with Thomas Tuschl, formerly from the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry in Germany, and now at Rockefeller University in New York City
Power Grid Control, with Christian Rehtanz, from Switzerland-based engineering giant ABB
Microfluidic Optical Fibers, with John Rogers, from the University of Illinois
Personal Genomics, with David Cox, chief scientific officer of Perlegen Sciences in Mountain View, CA
Here is the last paragraph of the article about nanowires.
Difficult tasks remain, such as making electrical connections between the minuscule wires and the other components of any system. Still, Peidong Yang of the University of California, Berkeley, estimates there are now at least 100 research groups worldwide devoting significant time to overcoming such obstacles, and commercial development efforts have already begun. Last year, Intel, which is working with Lieber, revealed that nanowires are part of its long-term chip planning. Smaller firms such as Nanosys and QuMat Technologies, a startup now renting space at Lund University in Sweden, are betting that nanowires will be essential components of the products they hope to sell one day, from sensors for drug discovery and medical diagnosis to flat-panel displays and superefficient lighting.
And here is a short excerpt about Bayesian statistics.
Programs that employ Bayesian techniques are already hitting the market: Microsoft Outlook 2003, for instance, includes Bayesian office assistants. English firm Agena has created Bayesian software that recommends TV shows to satellite and cable subscribers based on their viewing habits; Agena hopes to deploy the technology internationally. "These things sound far out," says Microsoft researcher Eric Horvitz, who is a leading proponent of probabilistic methods. "But we are creating usable tools now that you’ll see in the next wave of software."
A robotic Cyberknife to fight cancer
The Cyberknife is not a real knife. This is a robot radiotherapy machine which works with great accuracy during treatment, thanks to its robotic arm which moves around a patient when he breathes. According to BBC News, the first Cyberknife will be operational in February 2009 in London, UK. But other machines have been installed in more than 15 countries, and have permitted to treat 50,000 patients in the first semester of 2008. And the Cyberknife is more efficient than conventional radiotherapy devices. The current systems require twenty or more short sessions with low-dose radiation. On the contrary, and because it's extremely precise, a Cyberknife can deliver powerful radiation in just three sessions. ...
As you can see above, "the CyberKnife System uses image guidance software to track and continually adjust treatment for any patient or tumor movement. This sets it far ahead of other similar treatments. It allows patients to breathe normally and relax comfortably during treatment." And it "uses pencil beams of radiation which can be directed at any part of the body from any direction via a robotic arm;" (Credit: various Accuray pages). Here is a link to a larger version of thie picture above.
The Cyberknife is a product of Accuray, who has deployed a corporate CyberKnife website and many other local sites in various locations. Speaking about locations, here is a link to a page where you can check if you live in a place not too far from a medical institution using such a system.
Here is an excerpt from the BBC News article. "At first sight the Cyberknife looks like one of those robots used in the TV car commercials. It is a compact linear accelerator mounted on a robot arm. The cyberknife works by delivering multiple beams of high dose radiation from a wide variety of angles using a robotic arm. X-ray cameras monitor the patient's breathing and re-position the radiotherapy beam in order to minimise damage to healthy tissue. This accuracy enables tumours to be treated that are in difficult or dangerous to treat positions, such as near the spinal cord."
Of course, such a treatment is expensive. "Treatment will cost between £20,000 and £25,000."
Now, let's look at the new CyberKnife Centre in London to discover what is CyberKnife and how it works."The vast array of different angles/trajectories from which pencil beams of radiation converge upon the tumour lead to an extremely high cumulative dose of radiation therapy at the convergence point (the target/tumour) and yet a very fast 'fall-off' of dose at the periphery of the carefully mapped target. The surrounding normal tissues/organs only receive a small fraction of the high central dose of therapy."
You'll also find explanations about why the Cyberknife is about to replace surgery -- at least in some cases. "The treatment is so accurate that it's now possible to treat tumours previously thought to be inoperable. Although the results of treatment do not always show immediately, in most cases the procedure will initially stop the growth of tumours before gradually reducing their size. As there is no open surgery, the complications normally associated with an operation are eliminated, as is the need for a long recovery time. This makes treatment suitable for those who are not well enough to cope with the side-effects of surgery and most patients leave the clinic the same day as their treatment."
As you can see above, "the CyberKnife System uses image guidance software to track and continually adjust treatment for any patient or tumor movement. This sets it far ahead of other similar treatments. It allows patients to breathe normally and relax comfortably during treatment." And it "uses pencil beams of radiation which can be directed at any part of the body from any direction via a robotic arm;" (Credit: various Accuray pages). Here is a link to a larger version of thie picture above.
The Cyberknife is a product of Accuray, who has deployed a corporate CyberKnife website and many other local sites in various locations. Speaking about locations, here is a link to a page where you can check if you live in a place not too far from a medical institution using such a system.
Here is an excerpt from the BBC News article. "At first sight the Cyberknife looks like one of those robots used in the TV car commercials. It is a compact linear accelerator mounted on a robot arm. The cyberknife works by delivering multiple beams of high dose radiation from a wide variety of angles using a robotic arm. X-ray cameras monitor the patient's breathing and re-position the radiotherapy beam in order to minimise damage to healthy tissue. This accuracy enables tumours to be treated that are in difficult or dangerous to treat positions, such as near the spinal cord."
Of course, such a treatment is expensive. "Treatment will cost between £20,000 and £25,000."
Now, let's look at the new CyberKnife Centre in London to discover what is CyberKnife and how it works."The vast array of different angles/trajectories from which pencil beams of radiation converge upon the tumour lead to an extremely high cumulative dose of radiation therapy at the convergence point (the target/tumour) and yet a very fast 'fall-off' of dose at the periphery of the carefully mapped target. The surrounding normal tissues/organs only receive a small fraction of the high central dose of therapy."
You'll also find explanations about why the Cyberknife is about to replace surgery -- at least in some cases. "The treatment is so accurate that it's now possible to treat tumours previously thought to be inoperable. Although the results of treatment do not always show immediately, in most cases the procedure will initially stop the growth of tumours before gradually reducing their size. As there is no open surgery, the complications normally associated with an operation are eliminated, as is the need for a long recovery time. This makes treatment suitable for those who are not well enough to cope with the side-effects of surgery and most patients leave the clinic the same day as their treatment."
Old Apple Hard Drive Becomes New Atomic Mirror
Before going further, what is an "atomic mirror"? As its name implies, it reflects atoms instead of light. In this article, NewsFactor Network tells us that Cal Tech researchers have fabricated such a mirror using an old Apple disk drive.
"An atom mirror is a device that reflects impinging atoms in an analogous manner to the way a regular optical mirror reflects an incoming light beam," said Cal Tech quantum-optics researcher Benjamin Lev. "The difference between the optical mirror and the atom mirror is that ... to reflect photons one only needs a suitable metallic surface, [but] to reflect atoms one needs to create some sort of repulsive force for the atoms as they near the surface."
The Cal Tech research team "fabricated a magnetic mirror by etching a common hard drive, and used this mirror to reflect a cold cloud of cesium atoms," wrote lead researcher Hideo Mabuchi.
The common hard drive, Mabuchi explained, has several features that make it the perfect raw material for atomic mirror makers -- a large, flat, magnetic surface; smooth contours; and rigid construction.
Here is how the etched hard drive looks like.
But what can we do with such a thing?
The "atomic mirror" ultimately may help engineers create atomic lasers, ushering in new telecommunications technologies based on atoms rather than photons, and atomic -- not electronic -- signals.
Atomic optics may find application in another burgeoning tech field that remains in early infancy -- quantum-computer science. "One exciting prospect is to use the atom mirror, combined with electric fields, to perform quantum logic gates necessary for building a quantum computer."
"An atom mirror is a device that reflects impinging atoms in an analogous manner to the way a regular optical mirror reflects an incoming light beam," said Cal Tech quantum-optics researcher Benjamin Lev. "The difference between the optical mirror and the atom mirror is that ... to reflect photons one only needs a suitable metallic surface, [but] to reflect atoms one needs to create some sort of repulsive force for the atoms as they near the surface."
The Cal Tech research team "fabricated a magnetic mirror by etching a common hard drive, and used this mirror to reflect a cold cloud of cesium atoms," wrote lead researcher Hideo Mabuchi.
The common hard drive, Mabuchi explained, has several features that make it the perfect raw material for atomic mirror makers -- a large, flat, magnetic surface; smooth contours; and rigid construction.
Here is how the etched hard drive looks like.
But what can we do with such a thing?
The "atomic mirror" ultimately may help engineers create atomic lasers, ushering in new telecommunications technologies based on atoms rather than photons, and atomic -- not electronic -- signals.
Atomic optics may find application in another burgeoning tech field that remains in early infancy -- quantum-computer science. "One exciting prospect is to use the atom mirror, combined with electric fields, to perform quantum logic gates necessary for building a quantum computer."
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