Researchers at the University of Bath in the UK have developed a wearable belt-like device that can continuously scan the lungs and heart, providing an alternative to traditional computed tomography (CT) scans.
Worn around the chest, the device utilises ultrasound and functions similarly to a CT scanner. It was developed at the university in partnership with Netrix, a Polish technology company.
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According to the university, this device provides multiple images of the lungs, heart, and other organs over time, unlike a CT scan that captures a single image.
This continuous monitoring can give doctors an understanding of a person’s condition without needing repeated radiology visits or exposure to ionising radiation.
The wearable employs ultrasound computed tomography (USCT) to produce real-time images via a skin-conforming sensor array positioned on the chest of a patient.
It has been designed for patient comfort, featuring soft materials that are suitable for prolonged usage and wireless data transmission for integration with hospital systems.
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By GlobalDataThe device’s usage extends beyond the hospital, with applications in remote monitoring for home care, especially for the elderly or those with chronic cardiopulmonary diseases.
It could also help minimise healthcare expenses by eliminating needless hospital admissions through early detection.
University of Bath’s electronic and electrical engineering professor Manuch Soleimani said: “This could fundamentally change how we monitor patients in critical care or post-surgical settings.
“The imaging quality of the device can be on par with an X-ray or CT scan, but instead of a single snapshot, we can monitor how the lungs and heart behave over time, which is far more informative when managing dynamic conditions.”
Clinical trials are in the planning stages to further refine the solution for regulatory clearance.
Initial tests on healthy male volunteers have been concluded, with plans to include female participants with conditions such as acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in future studies.
According to the research team, future enhancements may involve adding more ultrasound channels to improve image resolution and adapting the design for brain imaging in emergency settings such as stroke monitoring in ambulances.
