SEATTLE — The University of Washington says researchers have developed a new oral contrast agent that produces clearer images during CT scans.
The study was conducted by the University of Washington School of Medicine in collaboration with the Mayo Clinic, the University of California, San Francisco, and Nextrast Inc.
The new solution, known as a dark borosilicate oral contrast agent, addresses an ongoing issue doctors encounter with CT scans of the bowels.
CT scans are often used to diagnose bowel diseases.
“We carefully designed this new class of oral contrast agent to overcome many of the diagnostic shortcomings of existing contrast agents for a broad range of diseases,” said study co-author Dr. Benjamin Yeh, a radiologist at the University of California, San Francisco.
Yeh is also the co-founder of Nextrast Inc., which created the solution.
The solution expands the stomach and bowels, allowing them to be seen more clearly on CT scans.
Thirty-two patients took part in the initial study. Some were given water, others iodine-based oral contrast agents, and seven received the new solution.
Researchers were able to identify all medically relevant findings in the patients who received the new solution.
Researchers believe the solution could also be helpful for other diagnoses that rely on CT scans.
“The novel dark borosilicate contrast agent has the potential to improve the assessment of numerous pathologies, including the detection of cancer and inflammatory disorders,” said Dr. Achille Mileto, a radiologist at the University of Washington School of Medicine and the study’s first author.
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