New Device Acts Like Primitive Medical Tricorder

Posted on June 12, 2008

The Future of Things reports that Georgia Tech researchers at the Center for Assistive Technology and Environmental Access (CATEA) have created a palm-sized device that can scan a person's skin for a "quick and unobtrusive scanning of subsurface tissues." The device would allow medical personal to quickly identify the severity of a bruise or cut regardless of skin pigment. It resembles a Star Trek Tricoder.

The device is capable of creating an image and characterizing sub skin tissues. The device was developed in the framework of a project aimed at designing a portable bruise and erythema (redness of the skin caused by capillary congestion) detection technology. By simply holding the device above the patient's skin, a subsurface image of the tissue is produced.

To create the image, the device uses a narrowband filter mosaic - a mosaic of tiny color filters placed over the pixel sensors of an image sensor to capture color information. The photosensitive pixel sensors observe different wavelengths (including non visible light, such as infrared), enabling characterization of the subsurface tissue. Images taken at different light wavelengths are combined to make composite images, with each wavelength displayed by a different color in the final image.

It isn't nearly as advanced as Star Trek's medical tricoder but it is certainly a step towards it. We would love to see all the Star Trek gadgets in our lifetime - hopefully this isn't just wishful thinking.

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