Schools View Ultrasound Needle Innovation

Published: 27 November 2019

During IUS 2019, 600 local schoolchildren attended an exhibition on ultrasound at the Glasgow Science Centre. Dr Rebecca Cleary, from the Ultrasurge team, showed off the needle she has designed for doing biopsy off the petrous apex.

Glasgow hosted the IEEE IUS 2019 conference in October, co-chaired by Ultrasurge's Prof Margaret Lucas and Prof Sandy Cochran. A public outreach event was held in the Glasgow Science Centre, with 600 local schoolchildren participating in a number of ultrasound related exhibits.

Ultrasound researchers talk about their exhibit with schoolchildren

 

Amongst them, Dr Rebecca Cleary, showed off the ultrasound actuated biopsy needle she has been developing with a local ENT surgeon. The Phacon head is used to train surgeons to operate on the skull without damaging crucial nerves. It was used to help develop a needle used in the correct way by a surgeon wanting to do a biopsy of the petrous apex, one of the hardest parts of the skull.

A photo of the petrous apex exhibit at an IUS 2019 public engagement event. On a table is a Phacon head used to train surgeons to carry out operations, the laptop that gives different viewing angles, and the ultrasound needle developed to do biopsy of the petrous apex.

 


First published: 27 November 2019