Third-year medical student Julia Salinaro will present findings from a study that explored the efficacy of an ultrasound device that acquires 3D volumetric images of second-trimester fetuses using existing 2D ultrasound platforms.
Salinaro's group developed the device, which consists of an orientation sensor, screen capture device, and computer, and combined it with a conventional 2D ultrasound unit. A student with minimal ultrasound experience acquired two image volumes each of 10 second-trimester fetuses. The researchers noted acquisition and reconstruction times for each exam; the student recorded fetal biparietal diameter, femur, and humerus measurements, which were compared with the same measurements recorded by expert sonographers.
The researchers found a strong congruence between the measurements by the student and the expert readers, leading them to conclude that their novel device could be a reliable tool in healthcare facilities with few resources.
"This low-cost technology could advance the clinical utility of ultrasound in obstetric imaging, especially in low-resource settings," the team concluded.
