World Health Day, observed annually on April 7th, is a significant event for all of us at Nikon. Established by the World Health Organisation (WHO), it aims to raise awareness about health-related issues and mobilise efforts to address global health challenges.
Each year, this day focuses on a specific health theme, encouraging governments, organisations, and individuals to take action and promote health equity worldwide. The 2024 theme is: “My health, my right”.
At Nikon, we think it’s crucial to highlight innovative technologies that significantly contribute to managing health conditions and improving quality of life. Among these, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems are indispensable tools for individuals managing diabetes, offering real-time insights and empowerment to manage their condition effectively.
This month, Thomas Gielen, X-Ray Project Engineer, scanned a Freestyle Libre system, a tool that has revolutionised glucose monitoring for people with diabetes.
This innovative technology provides a convenient and effective way to track blood sugar levels without traditional fingerstick testing.
Diabetes is a chronic condition characterised by high blood sugar levels and affects 463 million adults in the world. Proper management of diabetes is, therefore, essential to prevent complications such as heart disease, stroke, kidney failure, and nerve damage.
A Freestyle Libre system consists of two main components: a small sensor worn on the back of the upper arm and a reader device.
The sensor uses a tiny filament to continuously monitor glucose levels in the interstitial fluid found in the tissues beneath the skin. It measures glucose levels every few minutes and stores the data for up to eight hours. The user can then scan the sensor using the reader device to obtain real-time glucose readings and trends and patterns in their glucose levels over time.
Innovations like the Freestyle Libre system offer a convenient, effective, and less invasive way for individuals with diabetes to monitor their glucose levels.
The X-ray CT scans were acquired at an X-ray energy of 220 kV and an effective pixel size of 50µm using Nikon’s XT H 225 system. This system comes equipped with up to two different Nikon microfocus X-ray sources: a 180 kV, 20 W transmission target and a 225 kV, 225 W reflection target.
The scans were performed using the 225 kV reflection target and a Varex XRD 4343CT flat panel detector. For these scans the detector acquired 4,476 projections at an exposure time of 354ms, resulting in a total scan time of 26 minutes.
