MEDICAL APPLICATIONS WITH SYNCHROTRON-RADIATION IN JAPAN

In Japan, various medical applications of synchrotron X-ray imaging, s uch as angiography, monochromatic X-ray computed tomography (CT), radi ography and radiation therapy, are being developed. In particular, cor onary arteriography (CAG) is quite an important clinical application o f synchrotron radiation. Using a two-dimensional imaging method, the f irst human intravenous CAG was carried out at KEK in May 1996; however , further improvements of image quality are required in clinical pract ice. On the other hand, two-dimensional aortographic CAG revealed cani ne coronary arteries as clearly as those on selective GAG, and coronar y arteries less than 0.2 mm in diameter. Among applications of synchro tron radiation to X-ray CT, phase-contrast X-ray CT and fluorescent X- ray CT are expected to be very interesting future applications of sync hrotron radiation. For actual clinical applications of synchrotron rad iation, a medical beamline and a laboratory are now being constructed at SPring-8 in Harima.