The crowdfunding platform Crowd Supply recently launched a very interesting project: an open-source medical imaging system named Spectra.
Project address: https://hackaday.io/project/159737-spectra-open-biomedical-imaging
Although called an “imaging system,” Spectra is actually just a combination of very simple parts. Its core component is the circuit board shown in the image above, which is a small electrical impedance tomography device.
Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT) is a non-invasive medical imaging technique that measures the voltage values between electrodes by attaching a circle of electrodes to the surface of the object being measured and passing a weak electric current through. This technique does not damage the surface of the object being measured and does not use harmful rays or chemical elements for imaging, making it very suitable for the medical imaging field.
One of the advantages of EIT is its simple system design and low imaging cost, and Spectra clearly amplifies this advantage. The main circuit board of Spectra has 32 electrode interfaces, allowing users to connect 32 electrodes to the circuit board, and once connected to a USB interface, it can start working. If the object being measured is your finger, a small tissue slice, or even a potato or apple, the user can place them in a small beaker with a circle of electrodes at the bottom—this beaker can be connected to the main circuit board via a connector to measure the conductivity distribution image of the object inside the beaker.
Compared to traditional medical imaging technologies such as X-ray imaging and MRI, Spectra can be used at home at any time. Its non-harmful characteristics allow users to use it frequently, and there is no time limit for each measurement, making it suitable for continuous monitoring scenarios.
The project team also provided examples of some scenarios where Spectra can be applied, including measuring body fat percentage, checking for signs of pulmonary edema, and observing continuous changes in the stomach or bladder, among others.
Since Spectra can achieve long-term continuous monitoring, users can also perform time series analysis on the monitoring data.
Spectra can even be used for non-medical purposes such as detecting fruit ripeness or checking water flow conditions in pipelines. As the project develops, there is great potential for the future use cases of Spectra.
The principle of EIT imaging is simple; unfortunately, the imaging resolution of this technology is relatively low, and the image quality is highly dependent on the imaging algorithm. The essence of Spectra lies here: the project provides a companion monitoring application called OpenEIT, and everything from the circuit board design to the imaging algorithm to the monitoring application is fully open-source. You can think of it as a Raspberry Pi for medical imaging purposes.
The vision of the Spectra project team is to rapidly expand the user base through this low-cost design, allowing more interested geeks, medical workers, and ordinary family users to participate in the system’s upgrade and improvement process. Although the current Spectra device is rudimentary and the imaging quality is low, with more people participating in this project, its overall capabilities may improve significantly in the future.
The image above compares the lung imaging of Spectra with traditional CT imaging, showing that the former’s imaging quality is quite “basic”.
According to the introduction on the Spectra crowdfunding page, the core circuit board of Spectra has completed its final design and has already found a manufacturer in coastal China, with the supply chain of all components ready (for such a simple device, China’s electronics industry can handle it with ease!).
After successful crowdfunding, Spectra will ship from the Crowd Supply platform’s US warehouse, with free shipping within the US and separate freight charges for overseas shipping.
Currently, Spectra offers a basic $299 functionality package, a $399 deluxe package, and a $100 expansion package. The basic package includes only the main circuit board and the conductive beaker, while the deluxe package adds 32 channels of electrodes and a small plastic case. As of April 13, the project has raised $12,500 in just 10 days—equivalent to 42% of the crowdfunding goal of $30,000, with a high likelihood of reaching the goal in the remaining 33 days.
On Hackaday (https://hackaday.io/project/159737-spectra-open-biomedical-imaging), the Spectra project has received some user comments. The overall feedback is quite positive, with most considering the project to be excellent and worth following. Some have raised questions and opinions about the technical details, but overall, the project is relatively well-received.
The emergence of Spectra may change the current situation where medical imaging technology is monopolized by professional hospitals. When ordinary people can also use affordable, easy-to-use, and risk-free medical imaging equipment, the healthcare market may experience a significant wave of transformation. If you are more interested in Spectra, you can visit the project’s crowdfunding page (https://www.crowdsupply.com/mindseye-biomedical/spectra) and the Hackaday project introduction page for further information.
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