The Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam, is collaborating with VIT University to take up early detection of breast cancer using thermal imaging, B. Venkataraman, director, Health, Safety and Environment Group, IGCAR, Kalpakkam.
“We are focussing on breast cancer. VIT has good academic strength in image processing and analysis. This strength can be leveraged. We do thermal imaging, and when we combine image processing, the sensitivity and specificity will increase,” Mr. Venkataraman told reporters on the sidelines of the 14th international conference on Science, Engineering and Technology (ICSET-2017) at VIT on Tuesday.
The two institutions had been working on this, and one workshop has been organised in this direction. “The aim is to provide affordable rural healthcare for early screening of breast cancer. We can go to the deepest of rural areas and do mass screening,” he added.
He pointed out that using a combination of technologies, such as high precision digital photography, computer tomography and gamma rays, fingerprinting of south Indian icons and idols, is possible.
“We can create fingerprinting that cannot be duplicated. We can precisely characterise the composition and come up with the micro structure. We will have the digital contours and we can create a perfect legal record,” Mr. Venkataraman said.
He added that they would like to liaise with the State government and the Museum department to undertake fingerprinting of icons in temples to conserve heritage. “This has been proposed. It can be extended to any heritage structure,” he said.
Speaking at the inaugural session, he told students this was a world of inter-disciplinary nature and stressed the importance of lateral and innovative thinking among them.
G. Viswanathan, VIT University chancellor, felt that the Central, State governments, industries and universities should allot more funds for research activities.
“In developing India, scientists, technologists and engineers have a crucial role to play. They should take the lead for India to become an advanced nation,” he said.
Linking rivers
Noting that civil engineering was an important subject, especially irrigation, he said, “Water in many rivers is going for waste. There is a shortage of water for drinking and irrigation. We can interlink rivers in southern India to solve water shortage.”
He wondered why drip irrigation was not popular in the country as it was popular in countries such as Israel, that face water shortage. He observed that it could solve the problem of farmers.
Anand A. Samuel, Vice-Chancellor and S. Narayanan, pro Vice-Chancellor of VIT spoke.
