British engineers develop affordable ultrasound imaging technology

Jeff Neasham (left) and Dave Graham of Newcastle University in the UK developed an ultrasound device that costs only 30 to 40 pounds. (Image source: Newcastle University)

　　British engineers have developed a cheap and effective ultrasound imaging technology that could be used more widely around the world for prenatal diagnosis and other purposes.
 
　　The low-cost fetal scanner was developed by engineers at Newcastle University in northeast England. The device can be connected to any computer to display images of the fetus.
 
　　It is a handheld USB device, about the size of a computer mouse, and works in the same environment as ultrasound scanners currently used. It uses high-frequency pulses to build an image of the fetus on a computer screen.
 
　　However, unlike the ultrasound technology used in most hospitals, which costs between £20,000 and £100,000, the ultrasound device developed by Jeff Neasham and assistant researcher Dave Graham costs only £30 to £40.
 
　　As a result, it could provide medical teams working in the world's poorest countries with basic prenatal diagnostic information, which could save the lives of hundreds of thousands of women and children.
 
　　The scanner has been thoroughly tested by medical physics experts on the UK National Health Service.
 
　　Although the device has an output power of only 1/10 to 1/100 of that of conventional ultrasound systems currently used in hospitals, it can produce simple, effective images with the help of specialised software. Although the images may not be as clear as those produced by more expensive equipment, they could be a huge boon for medical professionals.
 
　　"In the UK, we take this potentially life-saving routine screening for granted, but for women in many other parts of the world, they don't even have access to basic information such as the position or development of their baby in the womb," said Neasham, a sonar expert at Newcastle University's School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering. "
 
　　We hope that by making the device so cheap and running on any computer produced in the last decade, it will eventually make basic prenatal ultrasound diagnostics available to all women," he added.
 
　　Neasham's original intention was to make the device affordable and easy to use so that it could be used in developing countries and in parts of the UK where ultrasound is still too expensive.
 
　　"Cost is key. Our goal is to make a product that is equivalent in price to the handheld Doppler devices (fetal heart monitors) used by most community midwives. This is no small feat when a scanner costing £20,000 is widely considered cheap," he said.
 
　　Neasham is an underwater sonar technology expert who has developed underwater sonar imaging systems and underwater communication and tracking systems. He used his experience in sonar signal processing to keep the cost of components and hardware to a minimum in his design. It works by manually scanning the skin with a sensor while computer software generates a focused image.
 
　　"My experience as a father inspired me to start this project. When my wife and I saw our children on the screen, we realised how happy we were to see them this way, so my wife suggested that I could use my experience with sonar to make this application more affordable," explained the father of two.
 
　　The scanner was funded by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council. The scanner simply connects to a computer via a USB port.
 
　　Neasham said that in many cases the device could be used to supplement the high-performance scanners already in use in hospitals, but not as a replacement.
 
　　"Obviously, this scanner could have applications outside of obstetrics, such as gallstones or other conditions that are easily diagnosed with ultrasound imaging," he said. "We have received a lot of interest and are in discussions with a number of commercial partners about how to take this development forward."
 
　　According to the United Nations, more than 250,000 women die each year from complications during pregnancy and childbirth, 99% of which occur in developing countries. The researchers noted that most of these deaths were avoidable, with lack of medical equipment being one of the most important causes.