Why you should care about SORS
Scientists working on the SORS technique
It’s a bit of a mouthful, but Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy (SORS), the technology in our latest game, is offering promising new ways of diagnosing certain serious conditions.
One of these is osteoporosis. In this bone disease, the density of the bone decreases over time, leading to a higher chance of bone fractures.
This means whilst the condition itself is not fatal, those suffering from it are more susceptible to serious bone fractures in an impact (Eg: a fall).
This means catching osteoporosis early is key – and this is where SORS comes in. Previous osteoporosis diagnosis techniques work with an accuracy of 60-70%, but SORS has the potential to go higher.
Bones are comprised of mineral and collagen. The improvement in detection that SORS offers is because it can detect both elements of the bone, whilst current methods cannot detect the collagen component.
What makes SORS even more intriguing are its other potential uses, including scanning for breast tumours and scanning for hazardous materials.
Image credit: Science & Technologies Facilities Council, www.stfc.ac.uk