What's Up? Wearable MRI - Holograms - Medical Imaging is Changing!

We’re living in a very exciting time, technology-wise.  Every time you turn around, there’s a new gadget that makes life easier.  There’s a breakthrough that helps us worker faster.  There’s a technology that saves lives, or makes it easier to save lives. Mary Lou Jepsen, the former head of Google X’s display division and Facebook’s Oculus, is working on a new technology that could change medical imagery.  Her device would make medical imaging much less stressful & less expensive for patients and actually alleviate the claustrophobia that many experience while in a loud MRI.

What Is Openwater?

Openwater is the name of Jepsen’s new company, which is developing a “wearable” MRI that will produce images equal or better to MRIs using holograms.  And unlike today’s MRIs, which require enormous multi-million dollar machines, Openwater’s device would be significantly less expensive to use.

Slip Into Your Medical Imaging Device

Imagine putting on a skullcap to get an image of a patient’s head, a t-shirt to image a patient’s torso or a sock to get an image of an ankle or foot! Openwater’s initial device is a stocking cap lined with specialized LCD screens and sensors.  The subject’s head would be bombarded with near-infrared light.  The device would measure the scatter of light waves as they pass through and bounce off the inner structure of a body and create a hologram. 

Jepsen described it as such: picture a rock in the middle of a circular shallow pool with lots of children splashing around the ring of the pool. As they create ripples, sensors in the pool measure how those ripples bounce, fragment and scatter over the rock.  Openwater’s device will analyze the patterns of how the ripples touch and scatter against the rock, in essence reconstructing what the rock actually looks like.  Instead of using water, the device uses infrared light.

Jepsen believes her technology will produce much finer imaging resolutions than today’s most powerful MRIs, and patients won’t have to stay very still inside a loud, clicking metal “coffin.”  The wearable technology would also be less stressful to patients. While no launch date is set, once the technology is proven lab-ready, it should be brought to market quickly.

At Atlantis Worldwide, we’re always excited to hear about new ideas and technology, especially in medical imaging.  Until this comes to market, remember that refurbished and pre-owned medical imaging equipment are a great alternative to systems that are brand new.  You can get the right technology for your practice or healthcare facility, plus flawless installation, great warranties and peace of mind.  Talk to one of our experts today!  

Some blogs you may have missed:

• Medical Imaging: Fueling the Future of Health Care
• Can Your MRI Be Hacked?
• Most Interesting Medical Imaging Articles this Year
• Radiologists, Healthcare & Social Media
• Should your business lease or buy medical imaging equipment?

Meet the author: Vikki Harmonay