Ultrasound diagnosis system

One of the main causes of high maternal mortality in developing countries is due to the fact that women live in rural areas where there are no hospitals or clinical facilities in the vicinity of their homes. Not only do these women have minimal access to medical technologies that could assist the birthing process, but they lack access to medical professionals that can adequately interpret the data from these devices.

This ultrasound diagnosis system is designed so that it can be used in rural areas without trained personnel or electricity. After nurse mid-wives generate ultrasound images by moving the ultrasound wand or transducer over the desired part of the patient's body, this diagnosis system saves all of the obtained information as a short video clip. Special software compresses the data into the size of a photo which can then be sent via a cell phone. The data is received by an ultrasound expert in another country that can interpret the data and then tell the mid-wife how to proceed.

• Designed by: Kristen DeStigter from Imaging the World
• Manufacturer (if different):
• Manufacturer location: United States

Uganda

Recipient of Grand Challenges Explorations grant

Destigter, K. (2010, August 04). "Dr. Kristen Destigter: Imaging the World brings ultrasound technology to rural Uganda". Retrieved November 13, 2013 from here.

Low-cost sustainable solution for rural ultrasound. (2011, April). Retrieved November 13, 2013 from here.

Nachbur, Jennifer. (2011, December 07). "Destigter and 'Imaging the World' use Gates Foundation grant to study low-cost ultrasound". Retrieved November 13, 2013 from here.