A new technology is being studied that will produce clear pictures of veins and soft tissues which are invisible to ordinary X-ray scans.

Third-generation synchrotron radiation technology is being studied at the Shanghai Applied Physics Institute of the China Academy of Science. It will play a very important role in detecting the early stages of breast and lung cancer.

According to Xiao Tiqiao, a scientist involved in the project named "Shanghai Light Source", the new technology will be ready for use in 2009.

"The new light source can distinguish objects as small as micrometers, while traditional techniques only allows you see things in millimeters. The resolution can be increased by millions of times," Xiao said.

The technology, being independently developed by Chinese scientists, will improve scientific research in cancer prevention, and there will be a big demand for its application, Xiao said.

Mammography is a widely used technology in the diagnosis of breast cancer, but with mammography the patient is exposed to high levels of radiation. With the help of synchrotron radiation, three-dimensional pictures can be produced with a single light wave, largely reducing radiation.

"At present, doctors rely heavily on experience when reading X-rays, three-dimensional ones will show up abnormalities even to the untrained eye," Xiao said.

Scientists all over the world are working on the application of synchrotron radiation since the first generation of the technology was introduced in the 1960s.

"I would say our light system is the best in the world," Xiao said. It can be used for diagnosis, and treatment.

"It's similar to the gamma knife. It can reach affected parts of the body without damaging healthy tissues," he said.

Synchrotron radiation can also be used in other industries. It can record chemical or biological changes at extremely high speed.

"For example, if a dinosaur egg was unearthed, you don't have to cut through the egg to see what is inside. Synchrotron radiation can easily produce a three-dimensional image for you," Xiao said.

(China Daily July 5, 2007)