Doctors try to understand the way cells respond to treatments and medical conditions before offering diagnosis and treatment. With research efforts, new ways of studying diseases at cellular levels have been developed.

Researchers have come up with a 3D tissue imaging technique known as X-ray histotomography that enables them to study cell details in a tissue sample. This technique could help improve the diagnosis and treatment of many diseases, cancer included. Using the X-ray histotomography, doctors will be able to differentiate the subtypes of cancer from other diseases that look the same and have them treated appropriately.

Here are some of the benefits of the X-ray histotomography:

• The X-ray histotomography avoids the procedure of taking tissue samples from patients and examining them under the microscope. Because of the three dimensional features, this technique provides accurate results of the shape and volume of cancer cells.

• The technique combines the principles of computed tomography scanning and histology to help scan small tissues and organisms in high 3D resolutions. Microscopic and three-dimensional features of cells can be evaluated with more clarity.

• X-ray histotomography uses a powerful x-ray source known as the synchrotron to enhance micro-CT scanning with high resolution and fast imaging processes. It helps pathologists to discover the individual characteristics of a patient’s disease, the diseased cells present, and the treatment options available for each patient.

• It has enabled clinicians to examine features such as 3D shapes, location, volume, and the number of affected cells. Now pathologists can study full tissue samples without cutting them into slices for examination.

• The shape, size, volume, and density of cells can be calculated and cataloged to help study the characteristics of a disease in a novel way that improves clinical care and helps to discover new drugs.

The advances in computed tomography technology allow large image files to be processed and viewed accurately. The traits of the disease can be examined simultaneously at the tissue or cellular level as well as the organ system in a 3D context. Future research is underway to increase the sample size, resolution, analytical power, throughput, and accessibility of this new technique.