An ultra-low cost scanner that can be plugged into any
computer to show images of an unborn baby has been developed by Newcastle University
engineers.
The hand-held USB device – which is roughly the size of a
computer mouse – works in a similar way to existing ultrasound scanners, using
pulses of high frequency sound to build up a picture of the unborn child on the
computer screen.
However, unlike the technology used in most hospitals across
the UK costing anywhere from £20,000-£100,000, the scanner created by Jeff
Neasham and Research Associate Dave Graham at Newcastle University can be
manufactured for as little as £30-40.