A University of California-Berkeley bioengineer has developed a form of telemedicine for developing countries where medical data can be converted into an image and then transmitted via cell phones to other locations to be processed, the Contra Costa Times reports.
Boris Rubinsky's plan aims to make medical imaging accessible and less expensive for remote populations through the use of cell phones, which are increasingly common in developing countries.
Details of the Plan
A system of 16 electrodes, built through a simple power supply, could then create a current in the area of the patient that needs to be imaged. The system would then attach to a cell phone, which could transmit the data -- similar to a text message -- to another location for processing.
Once the data is converted, technicians could send an image back to the cell phone. Doctors then could display it on a computer screen, the Times reports.
Rubinsky tested the plan with electrical impedance tomography, which makes a map of the electrical properties of tissues. The results of his technique also were published in the journal Public Library of Science ONE.
Reaction
Antonio Hernandez of the World Health Organization said places such as Latin America and the Caribbean could benefit from such a telemedicine system.
In addition, rural clinics that receive donated medical imaging equipment often do not use diagnostic imaging equipment because of the high repair and maintenance costs, the Times reports (Mason, Contra Costa Times, 5/8).