Browsing by Author "Muhumuza, Ivan"

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    The Embodiment of Low-field MRI for the Diagnosis of Infant Hydrocephalus in Uganda
    (IEEE., 2020) Diehl, Jan Carel; Doesum, Frank van; Muhumuza, Ivan; Obungoloch, Johnes; Kabachelor, Edith Mbabazi
    Compared to other parts of the world, the incidence of hydrocephalus in children is very high in sub-Saharan Africa. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) would be the preferred diagnostic method for infant hydrocephaleus. However, in practice, MRI is seldom used in sub-Saharan Africa due to its high prize, low mobility, and high power consumption. A low-cost MRI technology is under development by reducing the strength of the magnetic field and the use of alternative technologies to create the magnetic field. This paper describes the embodiment design process to match this new MRI technology under development with the specific characteristics of the healthcare system in Uganda .A context exploration was performed to identify factors that may affect the design and implementation of the low-field MRI in Ugandan hospitals and Ugandan healthcare environment. The key-insights from the technology- and context-exploration were translated into requirements which were the starting point for the design process. The concept development did have a focus on Cost-effective design, Design for durability & reliability, and Design for repairability. The final design was validated by stakeholders from the Ugandan Healthcare context.
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    Technical Results from a trial of the FREO2 Low-Pressure Oxygen Storage system, Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital, Uganda
    (Plos one, 2021) Peake, David; Kumbakumba, Elias; Bagayana, Sheillah; Barigye, Celestine; Muhumuza, Ivan; Kiwanuka, Frank; Semata, Patrick; Rassool, Kevin
    Increased access to reliable medical oxygen would reduce the global burden of pneumonia. Oxygen concentrators have been shown to be an effective solution, however they have significant drawbacks when used in low-resource environments where pneumonia burden is the heaviest. Low quality grid power can damage oxygen concentrators and blackouts can prevent at-risk patients from receiving continual oxygen therapy. Gaps in prescribed oxygen flow can result in acquired brain injuries, extended hypoxemia and death. The FREO2 Low-Pressure Oxygen Storage (LPOS) system consists of a suite of improvements to a standard oxygen concentrator which address these limitations. This study reports the technical results of a field trial of the system in Mbarara, Uganda. During this trial, oxygen supplied from the LPOS system was distributed to four beds in the paediatric ward of Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital. Over a three-month period, medical-grade oxygen was made available to patients 100% of the time. This period was sufficient to quantify the ability of the LPOS system to deal with blackouts, maintenance, and an unscheduled repair to the LPOS store.
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    An Unmatched Radio Frequency Chain for Low-Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging
    (Frontiers in Physics, 2022) Harper, Joshua R.; Zárate, Cristhian; Muhumuza, Ivan; Obungoloch, Johnes
    Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a safe and versatile diagnostic tool for intracranial imaging, however it is also one of the most expensive and specialized making it scarce in low- to middle-income countries (LMIC). The affordability and portability of low-field MRI offers the potential for increased access to brain imaging for diseases like Hydrocephalus in LMIC. In this tutorial style work, we show the design of a low powered and low cost radio frequency chain of electronics to be paired with a previously reported prepolarized low-field MRI for childhood hydrocephalus imaging in sub-Saharan Africa where the incidence of this condition is high. Since the Larmor frequency for this system is as low as 180 kHz, we are able to minimize the impedance of the transmit coil to 5 ohms rather than match to 50 ohms as is traditionally the case. This reduces transmit power consumption by a factor of 10. We also show the use of inexpensive and commonly available animal enclosure fencing (“chicken wire”) as a shield material at this frequency and compare to more traditional shield designs. These preliminary results show that highly portable and affordable low-field MRI systems could provide image resolution and signal-to-noise sufficient for planning hydrocephalus treatment in areas of the world with substantial resource limitations. Employment of these technologies in sub-Saharan Africa offers a cost-effective, sustainable approach to neurological diagnosis and treatment planning in this disease burdened region.