https://www.bbc.com/news/business-67871981
'
Portable X-ray machines "can literally be the difference between life and
death", says radiographer Sam Pilkington.
For most of us, if we need to be X-rayed the procedure is done in a hospital.
But for acutely unwell patients, or for infection control, Miss Pilkington says
that portable machines are very helpful.
This is because "they remove the excess burden of transportation from the
patients", says the final-year student at the University of the West of England
in Bristol, who is also a member of the Institute of Physics. Instead the X-ray
equipment goes to them.
There are obvious advantages for remote locations, including battlefields,
roadsides and disaster zones.
And thanks to the increased availability - and ability - of such portable
systems their usage is growing rapidly. With the coronavirus pandemic fuelling
this increase, the global portable X-ray market was worth a reported $7.1bn
(£5.6bn) last year. And this is expected to rise to $14bn by 2028.
In simple terms there are two types of portable X-ray machines - those on
wheels, which are generally described as "mobile", and the lightest devices
that can be carried by a single person. These are generally described as
"ultraportable".
One remote place that has tested ultraportable X-ray hardware is the Orkney
Islands in Scotland. Prior to a trial there from November 2021 to January 2022,
73% of patients who were due for an X-ray did not attend their appointments -
due in large part to the costs and time needed to reach distant hospitals.
During the trial, a handheld device made by Japanese firm Fujifilm was taken to
local clinics. Called the Fujifilm Xair, it weighs just 3.5kg, and is only
301mm (12 inches) wide and 144mm tall.
As a result of its use, the non-attendance rate for X-rays appointments was
reduced to zero.
As one patient commented to the subsequent report: "This is hugely beneficial
to people on the small islands. Much less upheaval for frailer patients."
German company OR Technology is another manufacturer of portable X-ray
machines. Tim Thurn, its chief commercial officer, says it is seeing great
interest from emerging markets. "There's a huge demand for bringing healthcare
to the people," he says.'
Via
What Could Go Right? January 18, 2024:
https://theprogressnetwork.org/maternal-mortality-rates-united-states/
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
