Portable antenatal ultrasound platform for village midwives

Abstract

Ultrasound imaging is an effective tool for identifying maternal mortality risk factors. Unfortunately, ultrasound is nearly absent in many rural healthcare facilities in developing regions due to the high costs of both equipment and required training. To leverage existing healthcare systems commonly found in these contexts, we have focused our efforts on increasing the diagnostic capabilities of midwives -often central medical figures in rural and lowincome communities. We have designed and built a low-cost portable ultrasound device consisting of a USB ultrasound probe and a touchscreen netbook for a total cost of around USD3500. Compared to currently available ultrasound devices, we simplified the user interface while maintaining functionality to allow midwives to detect three common obstetrical conditions: placenta previa, multiple gestations, and breech presentation. To evaluate our solution, we tested the accuracy of ultrasound measurements, image quality, and whether midwives could use ultrasound. Testing performed by nine clinicians indicated our device would be appropriate for identifying the three conditions. Our modular design approach allows for easy modification, and the device is designed to utilize existing local healthcare resources in order to create a sustainable solution that does not depend on continuous foreign assistance.

Uptake of Training on Vscan by Midlevel Providers Working in Rural Health Facilities in Tanzania: Implications for Reliability

“…In addition, the knowledge gain demonstrated by the pre and post-tests where in a statistical significant difference in knowledge change between before and after training was noted offers another measure of reliability of the training process, approach, methods and content packaging. Similar achievements had previously been recorded in a study conducted in Seattle where five trained midwives had all successfully achieved the desired training outcome and were confirmed by expert sonologists to reliably be able to conduct quality ultrasound scanning [14].…”

“…It reduces the need for highly specialized personnel to perform scanning. However, the technology can easily spread to lower levels of health facilities only if on the job training of whoever is available at the severely constrained staffing situation can demonstrate reliability [14].…”

Designing technology for resource-constrained environments: Three approaches to a multidisciplinary capstone sequence

“…Several other students and doctors joined the team, they published multiple academic papers (all with student authors, e.g. [24]), and in October 2010 was awarded a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Grand Challenges Exploration grant.…”

Adapting collaborative radiological practice to low-resource environments

“…Our surveys inquired about those midwives' experience and difficulty with learning current U/S technologies, what constitutes a typical U/S exam, and patient perceptions of healthcare in Ugandan communities [5]. The midwives' responses helped inform both the initial design choices for the U/S system, and the interview protocols we developed for future trips to the field.…”

“…As part of this project, ECUREI with support from UW is training Ugandan midwives from rural areas to perform basic obstetrical ultrasound exams using commercial stationary U/S devices and portable machines such as the GE LOGIQ Book XP (See Figure 1, Left). Initial work by researchers involved with this project suggests that current commercial devices may be inappropriate for widespread deployment in the developing world [5], and so we sought to design a more appropriate U/S machine (see Figure 1, Right). Our system is built from off-the-shelf technology using a USB probe and a convertible tablet PC.…”