The food and drug administration (FDA) has ushered in the era of mobile diagnostic radiology by approving a medical-image software for Apple mobile devices- iphone, ipad and itouch.
The food and drug administration (FDA) has ushered in the era of mobile
diagnostic radiology by approving a medical-image software for Apple mobile
devices- iphone, ipad and itouch. The image quality is said to be good enough
to enable the doctors to make diagnosis from computerized tomography (CT scan),
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET) scans.
However
this software is not approved for reading X-rays or mammograms. The software
is approved for use only when there is no access to a workstation but the FDA
spokesperson Erica Jefferson has acknowledged that there is no way to track
whether doctors use this software all the time for convenience. The
mobile MIM software has been developed by MIM Software Inc. of Cleveland. It
includes a safety guide and screen features which ensure that a physician can
recognize subtle differences in contrast to make a proper diagnosis. MIM
Software's chief technology officer, Mark Cain, said, Â "The software would be useful if a radiologist
wanted a second opinion about a PET scan from a specialist who was at a
conference, on vacation or otherwise away from a workstation."
While chairman of the American College of Radiology's IT and Informatics
Committee, tested early versions of the software, Mr. Khan Siddiqui said, "The
software will be used mainly by non-radiologists, such as surgeons or
cardiologists, to confirm courses of treatment and explain them to patients." Siddiqui
expressed fear about potential its abuse but said the benefits outweigh the
risks.
Source-Eurekalert