Professor paves way for exact diagnosis of arterial diseases
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Oh Wang-yuhl, professor at KAIST
By Lee Min-hyung
Oh Wang-yuhl, a professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), has developed a three-dimensional (3D) image recording system for a more precise diagnosis of arterial diseases.
A group of researchers _ led by Oh _ succeeded in recording high-resolution 3D images of coronary arteries, the nation’s top science and technology school said Thursday.
“The system will be widely adopted,” Oh said. “In particular, this will be very useful for stent treatments of patients suffering from coronary artery blockages. We are preparing to get authorization from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety over using the system for patients.”
Oh, 48, studied physics at KAIST, receiving a bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree from the university.
His overseas career started in 1997 when he became a postdoctoral researcher at Imperial College London for two years. He also served as an instructor and research fellow at Harvard Medical School and Wellman Center for Photomedicine for five years from 2004.
In recognition of his technological expertise, he was given tenure at KAIST’s Department of Mechanical Engineering in 2009.
His achievement is expected to help overcome weak points in existing angioscopy technology, which can capture 100 images per second. The research team said the speed is not fast enough for doctors to make precise diagnosis for coronary arteries.
But their new system can capture 500 images per second by using an optical fiber-based lens, helping medical staff to access clearer and less distorted images of arteries, according to KAIST.
The research team has also partnered with Korea University Medical Center to verify whether the system is appropriate for clinical purposes.
The achievement was published in the May edition of a U.S. scientific journal, JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging.