Simple scan of your finger could save your life

Who would have thought taking a simple scan of your finger could save your life?

Unlikely on the face of it, perhaps, but a consortium including Cranfield Impact Centre and Nissan Technical Centre Europe, has developed a prototype bone density scanning system which could be used to improve driver and passenger restraint systems in cars.

The system would work by taking an ultrasound scan of your finger and using the data to estimate the bone strength of each passenger, in particular the chest area which is most vulnerable to seat belt injury during accidents.

This information would then enable the system to assess a person's potential tolerance to injury and adjust the force of their seatbelt accordingly so it 'gives' a little once the brakes are applied and the car begins to decelerate.

It will also adjust the firing of airbags. In cars with dual-stage airbags, for instance the system would be clever enough to decide whether or not to fire both stages.

Ultrasound was chosen because, unlike x-rays, it uses no ionising radiation. This not only makes it a much safer option; its routine use in foetal scans makes it more likely to be readily accepted by the public.

Cranfield Impact Centre's Technical Director, Roger Hardy, said: "The system could be built into dashboard consoles, the driver's door or even, when miniaturised sufficiently, into the gear lever.

"It would need to be used each time the car's ignition was switched on, before the driver was able to move off. In its simplest form, it could be a hole into which you place your finger; the instrument would be powered to lightly grip the finger, take the reading and then release. This would then feed into the restraint system, part of a processing unit in the car, in addition to what is routinely used to detect a go/no-go situation for firing airbags and controlling the seatbelt operating characteristics.

"A lot of the ground work has been done and we're putting together our final report. We do, however, need to make further investigations before we look to commercialise the system," continued Roger. "We need to assess how it might be integrated into a car; what would be the power consequences on the battery, will it affect the engine management system, for instance – these are just some of the things needing consideration."

Comments

The opinions expressed here are the views of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of News Medical.
Post a new comment
Post

While we only use edited and approved content for Azthena answers, it may on occasions provide incorrect responses. Please confirm any data provided with the related suppliers or authors. We do not provide medical advice, if you search for medical information you must always consult a medical professional before acting on any information provided.

Your questions, but not your email details will be shared with OpenAI and retained for 30 days in accordance with their privacy principles.

Please do not ask questions that use sensitive or confidential information.

Read the full Terms & Conditions.

You might also like...
Study reveals unique evolution of knee bone in humans linked to upright walking