“We have submitted the project to the Ministry of Education and Science to get financing within the technological platform “Medicine of the Future”. The project is designed for 2012–1213. We plan to develop two devices (pilot samples): a case portable apparatus to equip ambulance cars, polar stations, remote towns, for sports and marine medicine as well as for a moving apparatus,” said Oleg Tolbanov, Professor of TSU, to RIA News not specifying the sum of the project.
He explained that participants of the projects plan to “establish an operating structure that will produce unique x-ray units” in 2013 provided they receive federal financing.
According to Tolbanov, in 2009 researchers from TSU and the Institute for High Energy Physics created a laboratory sample of portable x-ray apparatus in the form of a 20 kilogram suitcase.
“TSU has developed a principle of image registration with the help of semiconductor detectors which directly register single x-ray and gamma-ray quanta. The Institute for High Energy Physics has developed a suitcase with the detector-based apparatus. These detectors allow to make radiation exposure of patients and, what is the most important, of doctors 4–5 times less. A patient undergoes examination once but a doctor is constantly exposed to radiation. We manifest a new principle of x-ray device production based on semiconductor detectors. There is nothing of this kind in the world yet,” the professor said.
According to the designers, the radiation dose a person is exposed to near the portable x-ray apparatus does not exceed 0.5 microsievert which can be compared with the radiation dose during an air flight.”
“We have developed the technology of semiconductor detectors for the money of international programs and funds. One million dollars were spent in total for the development,” Tolbanov said.
As Lyudmila Ogorodova, Chairwoman of the technological platform “Medicine of the Future”, said to journalists, this innovative project refers to medicine development priority areas.
“A portable x-ray apparatus can be used by ambulance crews. X-ray images may be required immediately in some emergency situations. And even one hour of delay can cost a human life. So, this apparatus is necessary and top priority for us.” Ogorodova said.
The technological platform “Medicine of the Future” has become the first officially established technological platform in Russia. It is aimed at the development of a segment of the RF medicine based on the complex of “breakthrough” technologies which determine the possibility of appearance of new high-tech product and service markets as well as of a rapid distribution of advance technologies in the medical and pharmaceutical industries.