What are the benefits of a handheld ultrasound device?

 

• Portable ultrasound has made medical imaging available for rural and hard to reach communities. The miniaturization of this technology, combined with cost-effective computing, is revolutionary.

 

• Issues or indications of high risk conditions requiring special care or advance transportation can be detected and planned with enough time to prepare the receiving facility.

 

• Logistical issues have prevented the penetration of advances like these into hard-to-reach rural areas, like UWR-Wa. The cooperation of a team of competent logisticians, program managers and local experts on rural delivery of care is required. The UWR-Wa project has spent years assembling the essential group of experts, government officials and local providers.

 

• Telemedicine is essential to this service. Remote areas often do not have competent experts to read and interpret imaging. Telemetry and services can be back-packed to the population served. The data can then be collected and analyzed by experts or physicians from their offices or workplaces in population centers.

 

• Growth in new markets replacing expensive, hard to maintain older technology provides a powerful driver for distribution. The control, profit and benefit from this new technology creates business. That business should provide sustainable revenue for local entrepreneurs. Providing this novel medical service in combination with the ethical growth of this business is our goal.