Friday, April 24, 2009

It is an amazing world - using a cell phone with an ultrasound

I carry in my planner an ultrasound picture of one of my daughters. It was such an amazing experience to see the little body moving inside Janine.

A couple researchers have made it possible to use a cell phone with an ultra sound device. Ultrasound to Go explains:

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In a twist of engineering that could redefine mobile medicine, researchers have built an ultrasound device that can be plugged directly into a smart phone's USB port. The system can capture ultrasound images of pregnant bellies and blocked carotid arteries, display them immediately on-screen, and even use the phone's capabilities to send that data just about anywhere in the world.
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Typically these devices cost any where from $10,000 to $25,000. With the cell phone approach a doctor can get the price way down. William Richard and David Zar did the research. William hopes to get the final product down in the $200 range.

The article explains how this will also allow poor communities, and nations, to have access to ultrasound technology.

It is an amazing world.


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