I bet it will take decades to get this into widespread use. Mainly because this would be a neurologist job-killer.
http://www.alphagalileo.org/ViewItem.aspx?ItemId=173247&CultureCode=en
Results from a clinical study demonstrates that microwave
measurements can be used for a rapid detection of intracranial bleeding
in traumatic brain injuries. A recently published scientific paper shows
that health care professionals get vital information and can quickly
decide on appropriate treatment if patients are examined using a
microwave helmet.
The study demonstrates a new health care application for microwave
measurements. Previously, microwave measurements have been used to
distinguish stroke caused by bleeding in the brain from stroke caused by
cloth.[sic]
The new study shows that the technology also applies to patients
affected by traumatic brain injury, which is the most common cause of
death and disability among young people. This type of injuries are often
caused by traffic accidents, assaults or falls. An estimated 10 million
people are affected annually by traumatic brain injuries.
The study compared 20 patients hospitalized for surgery of chronic
subdural hematoma – a serious form of intracranial bleeding – with 20
healthy volunteers. The patients were examined with microwave
measurements which were compared to traditional CT scans. The results
show that microwave measurements have great potential to detect
intracranial bleeding in this group of patients.
“The result is very promising even though the study is small and only
focused on one type of head injury. The microwave helmet could improve
the medical assessment of traumatic head injuries even before the
patient arrives at the hospital”, says Johan Ljungqvist, specialist in
neurosurgery at the Sahlgrenska University Hospital. “The result
indicates that the microwave measurements can be useful in ambulances
and in other care settings.”
Further studies of acute head injury patients are ongoing and planned in Sweden and abroad.
“Microwave
technology has the potential to revolutionize medical diagnostics by
enabling faster, more flexible and more cost-effective care”, says
Mikael Persson, professor of biomedical engineering at Chalmers
University of Technology. “In many parts of the world microwave
measurements systems can become a complement to CT scans and other
imaging systems, which are often missing or have long waiting lists.”
“It is challenging to develop a new clinical methodology, from early
tests to a device for clinical use in a hyperacute clinical environment
where routine care of patients cannot be delayed. It requires a close
collaboration between technical and medical professionals which has been
supported by MedTech West, a western Sweden based organization for
med-tech research & development driven by clinical need”, says
Mikael Elam, professor of clinical neurophysiology, Sahlgrenska Academy
and University Hospital.
The Swedish Research Council programme for clinical research has been crucial for the project.
Facts about microwave measurements
A microwave helmet is placed
on the patient's head and the brain tissue is examined with the aid of
microwave radiation. The system consists of three parts: a helmet-like
antenna system that is put on the patient's head, a microwave unit and a
computer that is used to control the equipment, data acquisition and
signal processing. Individual antennas in system transmit, in sequence, a
weak microwave signals through the brain, while the other receiving
antennas measure the reflected signals. Distinct structures and
substances in the brain affect the microwave scattering and reflections
in different ways and the received signals provides a complex pattern,
as interpreted by using advanced algorithms.
http://www.chalmers.se/en/news/pressreleases/Pages/default.aspx
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