Transfer imaging data through the cell phone

Researchers from the Hebrew University and the University of Berkeley have developed a method for transmitting medical imaging via the cell phone, thereby enabling access to imaging devices for 75% of the world's population

Researchers from the Hebrew University and the University of Berkeley have developed a method that allows the transfer of medical images via the cell phone. The development will allow access to sophisticated radiological diagnoses and treatments. The new technology will be able to benefit the majority of the world's population living in developing countries that do not have access to this technology and millions of people living in the periphery of developed countries far from modern medical centers. An article about this development was published on Wednesday this week, 30/4/2008 in the electronic edition of the journal Public Library of Science ONE (PLoS ONE).

According to data from the World Health Organization, approximately 75% of the world's population does not have access to ultrasound, X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and other imaging technologies used for a wide variety of medical tests (from diagnosing tumors to identifying symptoms of tuberculosis to for monitoring the fetus during pregnancy).

Medical imaging is considered one of the most important achievements in modern medicine and about 20% of all diagnoses and treatments are done using it. However the technology is not available to many millions in the world due to high maintenance costs.

Prof. Boris Rubinsky from the Hebrew University demonstrated the feasibility of the method that allows replacing an existing system, based on medical imaging done with one device in a new imaging system. The new system has two independent components connected to each other through cellular technology, which can be applied in medical imaging of various types (ultrasound, electro-optical imaging, etc.). 'Yishom - The Research Development Society of the Hebrew University' and Berkeley University have registered a patent for the invention and will work to commercialize the technology.

Prof. Boris Rubinsky is the head of the Center for Biomedical Engineering in the Service of Humanity and Society of the Rachel Vaslim Benin School of Engineering and Computer Science at the Hebrew University and a professor of biomedical engineering and mechanical engineering at the University of Berkeley, California. The research team included: Yair Granot and Anthony Ivora, biophysics research students at the University of Berkeley.

"The system we developed will make the imaging technology cheap and accessible to these populations," Prof. Rubinski said today. "The imaging devices are expensive and require regular maintenance as well as a skilled operating team. Only medical centers with adequate budgets and human resources can afford the possession of these devices. The conventional imaging systems that are used today include all the components (hardware to receive the data, software to analyze the data and a system to display the images). Even if such devices exist in developing countries, they are not used frequently for technical reasons or due to a lack of operational skill."

The new method includes an independent device (Data Acquisition Device - DAD) that collects the raw data in a remote location where the patient is. It is a simple device, without a monitor, that connects with cellular technology to advanced equipment that can be found anywhere in the world. After the information is decoded and processed, it is sent back to the patient in the form of computer imaging, which is displayed on the cell phone screen.
"The DAD can be composed of simple parts that any person with basic technical knowledge would know how to operate. This way the costs go down and the need for staff training to operate the equipment is saved," explains Prof. Rubinski. "The fact that the image is processed in an advanced medical center and there is no need for the imaging device in the field will allow the distribution of the method to remote areas of the world, which lack advanced medical equipment but have cellular communication."

To demonstrate the method, the researchers chose the imaging method of Electrical Impedance Tomography. The method is based on the principle that infected tissues transmit electrical signals that are different from those transmitted by healthy tissues. The difference in the resistance of the electric currents is translated into an image, which can be transmitted by cellular technology.

For the experiment, the research team used simple and readily available parts and built a DAD device. The device had 32 electrodes made of stainless steel - half for creating an electric current and half for measuring the electric voltage. The electrodes were connected to a gel container that simulated a breast tissue tumor. 225 measurements were entered into a cell phone connected to the device with a USB cable. The information was then sent to a central computer that contained software to process the data. The raw data was processed into a computerized image and this was sent back via the cell phone. The researchers found that the resulting image was clear and viewable and in fact proved the suitability of the system for use.

In a conversation with the Hidan site, Yair Garnot, a doctoral student in biophysics at the University of California at Berkeley, explains. who was, as mentioned, one of the partners in the research carried out by Prof. Rubinski's laboratory and one of the signatories of the article that communication is not a barrier: "The method we used is especially adapted to the form of cellular communication as we proposed in the article, mainly because of the great difference between the simple raw information, and the complex signal processing. However, there is no obstacle to applying additional methods of medical imaging according to a similar concept in which the sensor and the information processing unit are separated. What is in the undeveloped area is only the device that scans, which is connected to the cell phone and sends this data to the computer. Because it is heavy processing, the computer located in a developed country is the one that processes the data. The ultrasound computer that processes the data received from the scanner. He processes the data and produces the image and sends this image back via cellphone. The doctor receives the image he needs to make the diagnosis.

Is the system also suitable for a wired network? For satellite broadcasting or did you choose cellular because of the availability?
Granot: "The system is suitable for any telephone infrastructure. The extraordinary availability of cell phones even in developing countries make the cell phone the preferred option."

How do you overcome the bandwidth problem, since an imaging image takes up a very high bandwidth due to its weight?
Granot: "There is no problem with the bandwidth, because the information transmitted from the remote site is only raw information that includes a series of voltage measurements. In the example we tried, it was a numerical list of 225 voltage measurements. There are two main forms of communication between the sensor at the remote site and the central system. In one way, the cell phone is used as a modem only. Many devices today can connect directly, or with ADD-ON to a computer and serve as a modem. Instead of a computer, the cell phone connects to the sensor unit where the voltages are measured and the information is transmitted via the phone, which is used as a modem. A second possible way: the information is uploaded to the cell phone via a USB, Bluetooth or other connection and from there it is sent as an SMS message, email or using the TELNET application. Additional options exist depending on the device and network support. In the initial implementation we used TELNET and email.

A third option exists for places where the cellular network is very basic and supports voice communication only. In this case, the sensor unit acts as a modem and produces sounds that are sent as a voice message. The protocol is implemented digitally and includes codes for detecting and correcting errors, so that even in the event of disconnection or interruptions in the line, the message will go through perfectly (albeit in a longer time).

Is a third generation device required on the side of the remote country?
There is no need for a third generation device when transferring the raw data. In order to view the decoded image, the cell phone must support image reception and display.
How can one be sure that there are no communication disturbances that could be translated as part of the picture?
The information is transmitted in a digital form and therefore standard codes, which are already activated in the cellular network or are added as an additional layer of communication, verify the correctness of the information.

The research was made possible thanks to the support of the National Center for Research Resources at the US National Institutes of Health, the Israel Science Association and Florida Hospital in Orlando. The researchers continue to develop the invention so that it can be applied to additional imaging technologies.
"The method we used is specially adapted to a form of cellular communication as we proposed in the article, mainly because of the great difference between the simple raw information, and the complex signal processing. However, there is no obstacle to also apply additional methods of medical imaging according to a similar concept in which the sensor and the information processing unit are separated." Summarizes Granat.