Portable Radar System Detects Pneumothorax

A pioneering system that detects the presence of pneumothorax by analyzing reflected radar pulses could save the lives of people in the emergency room (ER) or soldiers on the battlefield.

The pneumothorax detector system consists of two components. A control module provides power for the circuitry and a micropower-impulse radar (MIR) sensor, and also houses a processing system to analyze incoming data and detect the presence or absence of a pneumothorax. A probe unit is connected to the main control module and to an antenna, sending out the MIR pulse and detecting the reflected signals, which are then analyzed. Reflections are affected by the types of materials encountered, and are especially heightened by a tissue-air interface. The output of the device can be either a simple yes/no indicator, or other graphical means of estimating the volume of the pneumothorax. The pneumothorax detector, under development by Electrosonics Medical (Cleveland, OH, USA), can also perform real-time monitoring using high-speed data acquisition and processing electronics in the control module.

Pneumothorax is a condition where a pocket of air is trapped in the pleural space around the lungs, making breathing more difficult. In some cases this can lead to a collapse of the lungs and possibly even death. Pneumothorax is a well-known complication of many thoracic surgeries, and is therefore routinely checked in the intensive care unit (ICU) during recovery. By performing real-time monitoring, the presence of a pneumothorax can be detected earlier, and therefore be treated more quickly.

MIR technology, developed by Lawrence Livermore U.S. National Laboratory (LLNL; Livermore, CA, USA), received a 2007 award for innovation by R&D Magazine.


Related Links:
Electrosonics Medical
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory