Medical technology for pregnancy has been getting progressively more and more advanced. In the past, ultrasound machines have been large, bulky, and expensive. They are necessary however, so even small clinics have been forced to buy these machines regardless of cost. However, a recent invention may be the inexpensive answer for small clinics everywhere.

The MobiUS SP1 Ultrasound System is a Smartphone-powered ultrasound machine that is portable and more importantly, much less expensive. Though it can be purchased by anyone who has need of an ultrasound machine, it’s mainly been used by hospitals and small clinics. The machine can’t be powered by just any Smartphone however. It must be used with a phone capable of running Windows Mobile 6.5, and the phone must also have a USB 2.0 port. The device is typically used with a Toshiba TG01.

Perhaps in a few years the device may be powered with an Android or Apple phone, but it needs to be a powerful Smartphone with at least an 8G hard drive with Wi-Fi connection. The benefits of the device are that:

• It can be used in more locations
• It is portable and lightweight
• It’s much less expensive
• Photos can be sent to other medical professionals easily

However, there are also some downsides. The device takes fairly small pictures and the maximum size is 480-by-480 pixels. This means it can’t entirely replace large ultrasound machines. Apart from that however, the device is a major breakthrough and will enable many clinics to offer ultrasound services. The cost of the device is about $7,500. While this might sound pretty expensive, full sized ultrasound systems are usually about $100,000 or more.

There are a few different offshoots of the device like the Vscan and the Acuson, but the MobiUS SP1 Ultrasound System is the only device to work on a wireless device. The closest competitor of the MobiUS SP1 Ultrasound System is the Vscan, which also uses a mobile device, but it doesn’t have wireless connection capabilities.

The good news is that these machines will not only be useful in the United States, but they will also be able to help developing counties provide ultrasounds to women around the world at a much lower cost. Right now, the makers of the MobiUS SP1 Ultrasound System are working on expanding to a medical tablet so that the pictures will be larger and the device will be able to store more data.

Source:

1. Kelly, H. (2011, October 11). New smartphone ultrasound device is (finally) available. VentureBeat | News About Tech, Money and Innovation.
2. Moore, E. (2011, October 11). Smartphone ultrasound device hits market. CNET News.