New technology improves detection of lung disease

Early detection of lung disease in China is expected to greatly improve in a few years with the application of new technology, contributing to better prevention and treatment.

After five years of research, scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Physics and Mathematics at the Chinese Academy of Sciences obtained several clear images of human lungs displaying gas exchange functions - a vital indication of lung health - the first such images obtained in China.

"Compared with traditionally used lung-detection technologies such as computed tomography, the new technology can produce images with noninvasive and nonradioactive methods that visualize defects in the gas exchange function of lungs," said a statement released by the institute in Hubei province.