iPad Radiology App For Mobile Diagnosis Approved By FDA

Incase you are from outer space and do not know, FDA stands for US Food and Drug Administration, and they've just approved an app that'll work on both iPad and iPhone (and we assume iPod Touch too, since that's generally what happens,) that last surfaced when it won the Apple Design Award for "Best iPhone Healthcare & Fitness Application" in 2008. This app, the FDA notes, "is not intended to replace full workstations and is indicated for use only when there is no access to a workstation."

The app is called "Mobile MIM" an essentially displays on a screen what you'd normally see printed on film and hung up on a light wall. When you get a broken bone, or for example when police officers want to see how many bullets you've swallowed by looking at an x-ray – this is the sort of thing you'll be able to see now on your iPad, doctors. Much quicker than the alternative and apparently just as accurate.

The images that'll be able to be viewed in this app are what William Maisel, MD, MPH, the chief scientist and deputy director for science in the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health says are "based on computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and nuclear medicine technology, such as positron emission tomography (PET)."

The FDA evaluated this app based on measured luminance, resolution, and noise according to international guidelines and standards. After reviewing results from qualified radiologists conducting demo studies under all manner of conditions of light, all participants agreed that the app was sufficient for diagnostic image interpretation under the recommended lighting conditions."

This app, now approved, will be available sometime next week in the Apple App store in 14 languages in 34 countries. Take a peek at some of the screenshots provided by Apple Insider below –

[Via Apple Insider]