X-Ray Enhancing Fabric Promises Less Painful Mammograms

Swift Summary:

• Researchers at Hong Kong Polytechnic University have developed a flexible fabric called X-Wear that emits light when exposed to X-rays.
• The fabric aims to replace rigid scintillators in medical and industrial imaging, making procedures like mammograms and dental X-rays less painful.
• X-wear can conform to body shapes, demonstrated through prototypes like an X-ray bra that avoids the compression typically required during imaging.
• The scintillating material is made from flexible fibers of gadolinium oxide with europium dots woven into the textile.
• Challenges include scaling production for larger samples and adapting it for industrial-grade equipment, as current detectors remain flat and limit usage.
• Potential applications include disaster zone inspections, electronics testing, and pipeline assessments.

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