Other Awards and Honors
1997 Discover Magazine Awards
Winner - Computer Hardware and Electronics Category - MUSTPAC-1 (Medical Ultrasound, Three-dimensional and Portable with Advanced Communications - Rik Littlefield
Discover Magazine Awards for Technological Innovation were presented by the Christopher Columbus Foundation "to recognize the all-too-often neglected men and women behind the technologies that impact our lives."
MUSTPAC-1 allows a field medic or physician to perform three-dimensional scans of an ill or injured soldier. Experts anywhere in the world can then interpret the scans.
Developed for the military, the portable unit weighs about 85 pounds, fits in a backpack, and can be configured to run on batteries. MUSTPAC-1 will bring the benefits of sophisticated ultrasound imaging used in major hospitals to the front lines. Army officials hope this device may someday reduce the number of battlefield deaths. For the less severely injured, the technology promises to provide previously unavailable medical diagnosis and treatment with improved quality of care.
In addition to military applications, MUSTPAC-1 could be used by rural physicians in treating medical emergencies and providing assistance in hard-to-access places such as mountains, boats, and even outer space.