Pocket-Sized Imaging Device Improves Accuracy Of Epidural Placement

A team of bioengineers supported through a Small Business Innovation Research grant from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) has developed a pocket-sized, ultrasound imaging device to aid doctors in accurately placing needles into the lumbar, or lower, spine. The novel ultrasound system incorporates hardware and software, including a computer-aided detection algorithm to enhance bone discernment—which typically is poor with ultrasound—to navigate the lumbar anatomy.