The medical, military, sports, and other communities have rallied together to detect traumatic brain injuries (TBI) sooner. One problem is that the expensive, complex medical equipment used to diagnose TBIs--like CT or MRI scanners--is not easily accessible in many situations. Researchers at the University of Aberdeen have used funding from the United Kingdom's Defence Science and Technology Laboratory's Centre for Defence Enterprise to develop software that can be used with more common, portable ultrasound equipment to gather accurate brain scans. The software is designed to make conducting the scan user-friendly and the resulting 3-D image can be sent to an expert for diagnosis and treatment advice.

"This can enable TBI to be detected on the battlefield, remote areas, and playing field sidelines. An elegant expansion of the capabilities of existing medical equipment provides better care at lower cost--a win-win for everyone," says Yuhgo Yamaguchi, principal design strategist at Continuum (Boston).

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[Image courtesy of University of Aberdeen]