Cape Town-developed device proving to be game changer in medical diagnostics

A Cape Town doctor who has turned entrepreneur is gaining popularity in the medical sector for his innovative design of a wireless ultrasound image device that helps the doctors scan every part of the human body.

Dr Chad Marthinussen and his business partner, Abdul Malick Salie, founded the Innov8 Group Holdings company, which specialises in creating new technologies or devices to be used to solve medical issues.

Their latest innovation is a portable, wireless, pocket-size ultrasound device that allows doctors to scan anywhere in the human body – most importantly, pregnant women.

Marthinussen said this wasn’t a new technology. They have used existing technologies to improve the ultrasound scan and make it more portable, easy to use, and capable of high-quality imaging through their U-Image platform.

"The device is a 3-in-1 ultrasound probe that can produce whole body scanning capabilities in any environment. This is especially important in the care of pregnant women in Africa, where many are unable to obtain detailed ultrasound scans due to a lack of equipment or access.

“This is not just for pregnancies, but for many body parts that can help doctors make diagnoses and find solutions," said Marthinussen.

Marthinussen, who has offices in Durbanville, studied medicine at the University of Stellenbosch and came up with the U-image concept while working in a government hospital in the Western Cape.

"When I was working on a patient, I realised that access to ultrasound machinery in the emergency department was limited, that units were old and not fully functional, and there was no training on how to operate these devices.

“I had to consult YouTube for a tutorial, and that's what sparked the idea to look at developing my solution to make ultrasound more accessible to the people," said Marthinuessen.

He added that their U-Image is already proving to be a game changer in medical diagnostics in South Africa, and that it has been integrated into the teaching plan for medical students at Stellenbosch University.

"It's also being widely-used in government hospitals like the Khayelitsha Day Hospital and Tygerberg Hospital. We also have signed a multimillion rand distribution deal with an African pharmaceutical giant, Avacare Global, to distribute the device in health facilities across the continent," he said.

Dr Roland Kroukamp is a qualified family physician who is currently specialising in sports medicine. He is also the clinical lead at the biggest state clinic in South Africa, Mitchell's Plain day hospital, where they see up to 30 000 patients a day.

He said: "U-Image has revolutionised my clinical practice. I now use it more than my stethoscope, and I also do my best to train and expose all the doctors who work in my facility to become comfortable with using POCUS. It is without a doubt the stethoscope of the future.

“I use it for a range of applications, from obstetrics and musculoskeletal to ophthalmology and internal medicine, as my scope of practice is wide."