Pioneering research and skills
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council
Keeping mum An ultra-low-cost scanner that can be plugged into any computer to show images of an unborn baby has been developed by EPSRCsponsored engineers at Newcastle University. The hand-held USB device works in a similar way to ultrasound scanners, using pulses of high frequency sound to build up a picture of the unborn child on the computer screen. However, unlike hospital technology, which can cost from £20,000 – £100,000, the scanner can be manufactured for as little as £40. The team hope the device will be used to provide medical teams working in the world’s poorest nations with basic antenatal information that could save the lives of hundreds of thousands of women and children.
To download the Growth Stories app visit www.epsrc.ac.uk/growth
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