Automated low-cost ultrasound: improving antenatal care in resource-limited settings

T. van den Heuvel

• Promotor: B. van Ginneken and C. de Korte
• Graduation year: 2019
• Radboud University, Nijmegen

Abstract

Worldwide, 99% of all maternal deaths occur in developing countries. In absolute numbers, this corresponds to approximately 820 deaths per day. Ultrasound imaging can be used to detect maternal risk factors, but too often remains out of reach for pregnant women in developing countries. This is mainly caused by two reasons: ultrasound is too expensive for resource-limited countries and it requires a trained sonographer to acquire and interpret the ultrasound images, while there is a severe shortage of well-trained medical personnel in these countries. In this thesis we aim to solve this problem by combining low-cost ultrasound devices with the obstetric sweep protocol (OSP) and automated image analysis.