View Full Version : Buck Rogers Dept #2 - pocket "X-Ray" machine...
It has been mentioned that portable ultrasound machines make an acceptable substitute for X-Ray machines in the austere environment. Unfortunatly, they start at about 15K. Again, thinking of the TI-86/CBL, it might be possable to hack together something that would at least take an image akin to a polaroid. An extra memory pack (plans available) would probably be needed. Does anyone know of a reference to simple design of an ultrasound unit? - this seems very do-able!
as an alternative, the newer SONY camcorders offer a NightShot (if I got the name right) option. Placing a high intensity UV/IR light on the oposite part of the body to be imaged, might just do the trick...
can you find more details? - the u/s in particular sounds very interesting, for it's potential. note the thread on pocket "x-ray" machine - ie: imaging broken bones. as noted, the lowest cost pocket u/s unit I know of is 15K. w/ a TI approach, the calculator is ~100$, the CBL ~150$ and then sensors. but it's a multi-use device from that point. for a sony camcorder we're probably in the ~600$ range, so 500$, for a "X-Ray" type capability, is pretty reasonable. granted, that price could come way down if you're willing to weild a soldering iron and maybe do some programming...
RESQDOC wrote:
3. Ultrasound. The portable unit in question is quite spiffy, but limited in that it does not have the ability to print out or transfer images, but I do like it. One study used this to screen for hemo/pneumothorax in the chest on the ski slopes, with mixed results and questionable utility given the expense. There are other almost as small U/S units that use 110 power starting at $3000 or so that work quite well if a portable power source was included. U/S has great utility in diagnosing many trauma and medical conditions – if you know how to read it. This takes both teaching and practice, it’s not easy. For those interested two CD-ROM’s are available that are excellent introductions, Obstetric Ultrasound Principles & Techniques and General Abdominal Ultrasound Principles & Techniques from Silver Platter Education Inc & the AMA (try the online AMA catalog) steep - $175 each as I recall. A nice capability if you can afford and use it. The concept of a home brew U/S unit is quite intriguing, I would think that the power and display modules would be quite straightforward. The transducer might be the tough part, commercial units start at about $500 and go up from there, perhaps there is some off the shelf industrial unit that could be adapted. Calling all electronic types!
4. X-Ray. Another nice modality if you can afford it. Handheld x-ray units are available that are used by podiatrists, dentists, and vets have been studied and produce some very reasonable quality films in under 30 pound units. Examples of these include adaptation of a dental unit to form a 15.5-pound unit by the Army as the HDX/medical unit and the MinXRay Company in Illinois that makes various units. There are others. Processing the film is a separate problem. I believe that the Polaroid Company was experimenting with a newer type of film and portable processor in the 20-pound range. As I recall it produced a “positive” image rather than the tradition film, i.e. the bones showed black, air white rather than the other way around. What became of this I don’t know. I believe that the medical support unit for a Special Forces deployment to south america several years ago tried a portable system with good results and published an article in Military Medicine, somebody do a search for it. Also Javahed might have some input. There were complete plans for a homebrew x-ray machine in the Scientific American “Amateur Scientist” column I believe in the early 60’s. They reported excellent results with it. 10 bonus points to anyone who can ID this quote “Why worry, each of us is wearing an unlicensed nuclear accelerator on our backs.”
5. Of course, using a video camera and light is just a form of transillumination, why not simply transilluminate? The problem is that it takes quite a bright light to accomplish much, which generally means heat as well, unless using an expensive cold light. Then there is attenuation as the light passes through the tissues, to the point that you can’t see anything at all. Still, it can be helpful for fingers, sinuses, and the like.
6. How about other means of diagnosing, fractures for example. Perhaps Javahed would be kind enough to share with us the SF take on the use of tuning forks, the two-coin test, and other similar tricks of the trade.
could we get names and sources for the various equipment mentioned? THat kind of information would be extremly valuable!
RR wrote:
I believe it is the MinXRay units I once looked at (about 5 years ago) for an on-sight application at a Motocross track (hospital was 18 miles away). They ran about $11-12K new for a unit under 80# weight. Outside the budget so I didn't get as far as the developing capability.
Now, that said, and with respect to other ideas also, the used medical equipment market offers some great deals if you are willing to settle for less than state-of-the-art. For instance a "70's model hospital portable X-Ray unit can be had in working order for under $2K easily.
Likewise you can find older B/W U/S units quite cheap. Perfect working order but color has been the norm for years now.
I've heard of the tuning fork technique for Fx diagnosis, but never learned it. Have fork, am willing.
1. Coy, J.D., DeWitt, O., Meyers, A. Lightweight Portable X-Ray For Special Operations, Military Medicine Nov. 1989
2. Coy, J.D. Casualty Radiology with Lightweight X-Ray Machine. Military Medicine, Oct. 1991
3. Coy, J.D., Use of Lightweight X-Ray and Processor During Medical Rediness training Exercise on the Amazon River, Military Medicine 1991
4. Coy, J.D., Hand-Held Dental X-Ray (HDX) With Medical Collimator: Use in Casualty Radiology, Military Medicine, Jul. 1996
5. Coy, J.D., Vandre, R.C., Davidson, W.R.K., Tooth Repair: Use of Hand Held Dental X-Ray (HDX) During Joint Operation, NATO Exercise Display Determination-92, Military Medicine, Jul. 1997
re: homebrew ultrasound:
At 10:54 AM 5/8/97 -0400, you wrote:
>
>Where do people get their Polaroid or equivalent ultrasound sensors... the
>kind which are ready to be used, with circuit and everything...?
>
>
Try http://www.wirz.com/
That is where I bought my sonar transducer and ranging board for $50.00
+5.00 S/H.
It came within a week and the quality is great.
Keith
Keith Soldavin
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Polaroid Sonar Kit
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Qty:
Wirz Price: $50
Product Number: 1
Shipping Weight: 1.1 lbs
Package Contents:
1 - 6500 Board
1 - 600 Series Transducer
Cabling and Data Sheet
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Polaroid Sonar Kit Ten Pack: #0187
Sonar Ranging is one of the most common forms of distance measurement used in Mobile Robotics and a variety of other applications. The principle is simple to understand. A speaker (Transducer) is used to emit a short burst of sound (Ping). The sound wave travels through the air and reflects off a target back to the Transducer (Echo). By measuring the Time of Flight between Ping and Echo detection, one can calculate the distance between the target and transducer.
The Polaroid Corporation has developed the 6500 Sonar Ranging board and a series of Transducers that makes Sonar Ranging very simple. Interfacing to the 6500 Board is straightforward. The only hardware requirement is the ability to measure the Time of Flight, which can usually be handled by a host Microcontroller or a simple clock and counter circuit.
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Polariod OEM Components Group
(617) 386-3965
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2.2.1.1 A parallel in ultrasound technology development
Three years ago, a JASON study sponsored by DARPA [H. Abarbanel et al., Biomedical Imaging (JASON Report JSR-94-120, August 1995)] looked at the maturity and sophistication of technology both for ultrasound and for MRI. In both cases the study found concrete examples of the institutional barriers discussed in the previous section. Ultrasound was further behind in advanced technology than MRI, and we will comment only on ultrasound here. The problems of ultrasound are well-known to all who work in it: The transmission medium (flesh and bones) is so irregular that images have very poor quality, interpretable only by those devoting their lifetime to it. In-principle improvements were known, especially the construction of two-dimensional ultrasound arrays to replace the universally-used one-dimensional arrays (which severely degrade the resolution in the direction transverse to the array). But this was a difficult technological challenge, requiring sophisticated engineering beyond the reach of much of the ultrasound community, and not representing an obvious profit potential for the commercial suppliers.
The JASON study found that members of the ultrasound research community were largely limited by the pace of commercial technology development, which was conservative and market-oriented, not research-oriented. In some cases there were ultrasound researchers quite capable of making advances in the technology, but frustrated by the lack of NIH funding. The study recommended that DARPA occupy, at least temporarily, the niche of technology development for ultrasound, which existed because agencies like the NIH were not filling it.
In response to this study, DARPA put a considerable amount of money into advancing ultrasound technology, with emphasis on using (two-dimensional) focal-plane array techniques developed by defense contractors for infrared and other electrooptical arrays. While it is too early to foresee the ultimate impact, it appears that this funding will significantly improve ultrasound technology.
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