Ranger Bryan J, Bradburn Elizabeth, Chen Qingchao, Kim Micah, Noble J Alison, Papageorghiou Aris T
Department of Engineering, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, 02467, USA.
Nuffield Department of Women's & Reproductive Health, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX3 9DU, UK.
Gates Open Res. 2024 Oct 29;7:133. doi: 10.12688/gatesopenres.15088.1. eCollection 2023.
The WHO's recommendations on antenatal care underscore the need for ultrasound assessment during pregnancy. Given that maternal and perinatal mortality remains unacceptably high in underserved regions, these guidelines are imperative for achieving better outcomes. In recent years, portable ultrasound devices have become increasingly popular in resource-constrained environments due to their cost-effectiveness, useability, and adoptability in resource-constrained settings. This desk review presents the capabilities and costs of currently available portable ultrasound devices, and is meant to serve as a resource for clinicians and researchers in the imaging community.
A list of ideal technical features for portable ultrasound devices was developed in consultation with subject matter experts (SMEs). Features included image acquisition modes, cost, portability, compatibility, connectivity, data storage and security, and regulatory certification status. Information on each of the devices was collected from publicly available information, input from SMEs and/or discussions with company representatives.
14 devices were identified and included in this review. The output is meant to provide objective information on ideal technical features for available ultrasound systems to researchers and clinicians working in obstetric ultrasound in low-resource settings. No product endorsements are provided.
This desk review provides an overview of the landscape of low-cost portable ultrasound probes for use in obstetrics in resource-constrained environments, and provides a description of key capabilities and costs for each. Methods could be applied to mapping the landscape of portable ultrasound devices for other clinical applications, or may be extended to reviewing other types of healthcare technologies. Further studies are recommended to evaluate portable ultrasound devices for usability and durability in global field settings.
世界卫生组织关于产前护理的建议强调了孕期超声评估的必要性。鉴于在服务不足地区孕产妇和围产期死亡率仍然高得令人无法接受，这些指南对于取得更好的结果至关重要。近年来，便携式超声设备因其成本效益、易用性以及在资源受限环境中的适用性，在资源受限环境中越来越受欢迎。本案头审查介绍了目前可用的便携式超声设备的功能和成本，旨在为影像领域的临床医生和研究人员提供参考资源。
与主题专家协商制定了一份便携式超声设备的理想技术特性清单。特性包括图像采集模式、成本、便携性、兼容性、连接性、数据存储和安全性以及监管认证状态。关于每个设备的信息是从公开可用信息、主题专家的意见和/或与公司代表的讨论中收集的。
确定了14种设备并纳入本审查。该结果旨在为在资源匮乏环境中从事产科超声工作的研究人员和临床医生提供有关可用超声系统理想技术特性的客观信息。未提供产品推荐。
本案头审查概述了用于资源受限环境中产科的低成本便携式超声探头的情况，并描述了每种探头的关键功能和成本。这些方法可应用于绘制用于其他临床应用的便携式超声设备的情况，或可扩展到审查其他类型的医疗技术。建议进一步开展研究，以评估便携式超声设备在全球实地环境中的可用性和耐用性。
