Innovative tool gives researchers new look at the nasal airway in CF patients
A paper published today in Science Translational Medicine describes a simple, minimally invasive new tool for viewing differences in the nasal airways of cystic fibrosis patients in vivo at a cellular level. The new technique provides high-resolution images of the hair-like structures called cilia that line nasal airways as well as of the detailed features of the clearance of mucus, which is impaired in people with CF, causing significant morbidity. The imaging catheter, which is about 2 mm in diameter, uses optical coherence tomography with a resolution of about 1 micrometer — a 50th the size of a human hair — allowing ...
