Skip to main content

CT Scan

By
Jansen20 built an open-source desktop CT scanner (see figure 1) for small objects. The complete design files are available online,21 including the mechanical design, circuit schematics and firmware. The CT scanner uses a very low intensity radioisotope X-ray source, which means that even low resolution images take hours of measurement.22 It is designed for academic and educational purposes, but the hope is that it could eventually be used as a medical scanner in developing countries.
Jansen designed the almost entirely laser-cuttable CT scanner with four axes of motion, one being a large rotary gantry. The stepper motor to rotate the gantry is a National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA)17 stepper from open-source hardware distributor Adafruit ($14), which transfers motion to the drive shaft using a belt and timing pulleys. Each linear axis has a small carriage that contains mounts for either the source or detector. Each axis has an inexpensive NEMA14 stepper also from Adafruit (under $14) and an idler pulley.23 Jansen has used a very small solid state high-energy particle detector called the type-5 from radiation watch, which can be connected to an external microcontroller. The price of this particle detector is just under $80.
To test out the motion and detector, Jansen put together an Arduino shield ($45) with three Pololu stepper controllers24 and a connector for the detector. An SD card slot can store the image data for large scans.
The source of radiation used in Jansen's design is Barium-133 (cost between $80 and $125.00) with 80–383 KeV energy. This radioisotope check source is sealed in epoxy, and is of such low intensity that it not licensed25 and considered safe unless the material is digested or taped to the body for long periods, and it can be disposed of as general trash. The total cost of Jansen's open-source CT scanner (excluding the laser cutter) is about $300. Open-source laser cutters can be built for around $1000. All required components are readily available and only basic knowledge of electronics and laser cutting is required.
x

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

HealthyPi

By
  The HealthyPi was designed with not just one application in mind, but a variety of them. While it does function as a vital sign monitor for traditional patient monitoring applications, it can also be used for several other applications. You can use it with a Raspberry Pi using a display; use it with a Raspberry Pi with the official touchscreen using our “Complete Kit,” or you can use it standalone by connecting it to any computer’s USB port. The software is compatible across all platforms.                                                                         Resources: https://github.com/Protocentral/protocentral-healthypi-v3 http://healthypi.protocentral.com
Post a Comment
Read more

New ventilator mask protects entire face from coronavirus

By
https://www.israel21c.org/new-ventilator-mask-protects-entire-face-from-coronavirus/ Many people are wearing facemasks to avoid breathing airborne coronavirus particles, and to keep from touching their noses and mouths. However, even N95 masks can’t fully block tiny virus particles and can’t kill the virus (two masks  under development in Israel  aim to do that). Any blocked viral particles stay on the mask’s surface and pose a hazard when handled and thrown away. Furthermore, facemasks don’t cover eyes. Although the nose is the main route for coronavirus into the lungs,  some researchers believe  the eye’s conjunctiva is another possible point of entry. That’s why Israeli physician and serial medical-device inventor Dr. Noam Gavriely worked quickly to develop what he calls the  ViriMASK Protective Oculo-Respirator . ViriMASK is strapped around the head, covering the eyes with a see-through visor and the nose and mouth with a filtering mechanism....
Post a Comment
Read more

Sterilising Lamp by Frank Chou

By
Frank Chou's Sterilising Lamp combines an ultraviolet (UV) light with a tray, and would ideally be kept by the entrance to the user's home for them to put items in such as their mobile phone, keys or wallet as they enter the room. The user would press the cover body to activate the internal UV light source, the body then lowers to cover the items in the tray with the UV light. After 60 seconds the cover automatically rises to reveal the now-sterilised items again. Frank Chou aimed to create an "unconscious design" when creating the lamp, which he hopes can blend into the home and become part of people's daily routine, as opposed to a disinfection method that they consciously have to think about doing. Source:  https://www.dezeen.com/2020/03/09/coronavirus-protection-products/
Post a Comment
Read more