A hot topic here at NIWeek has been optical coherence tomography (OCT), a noninvasive imaging technique that could potentially save a lot of lives through early detection of diseases in fields including cardiology, oncology, and dermatology. The technology provides higher-resolution images than MRI and PET and does not require ionizing radiation.

OCT technology is accelerating quickly. In the past, bulky hardware has held it back from being used to provide patient care outside of hospitals and doctors offices, but that's starting to change, opening up possibilities for point-of-care testing.

This morning's keynote included a demo of the world's smallest OCT system. Developed by Santec Japan, the system was created using NI FlexRIO and field-programmable gate array technology. The portable system is smaller than previous iterations and provides four-times faster imaging. To prove the point, Santec Executive Director Changho Chong led the audience through a demonstration, projecting real-time scans of a participant's finger and hair on stage.

Santec was honored for its development at the Graphical System Design Achievement Awards Tuesday night, as was a team from Japan's Kitasato University, which developed the world's first real-time 3-D OCT imaging system (see video below).

 —Jamie Hartford