Smartphone ultrasound to help diagnose and treat serious injuries in Cameroon
Official title: Smartphone ultrasonography to improve diagnosis and treatment of life-threatening injuries for trauma patients in Cameroon
Funded at University of California Los Angeles · NIH-11386099 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project trains health workers to use smartphone ultrasound so people with severe injuries in Cameroon get faster diagnosis and treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | August 17, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $88,290 |
| NIH project number | 3R33TW012609-03S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11386099 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people who arrive at participating hospitals in Cameroon with moderate-to-severe trauma who may need imaging to check for internal bleeding or other internal injuries.
✕Less likely to help
People with minor injuries who do not need imaging, or patients treated outside the participating Cameroonian hospitals, are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
As a patient in Cameroon, I often can't get imaging after a serious injury. This project trains local clinicians to use a smartphone-based ultrasound to find bleeding and other dangerous injuries more quickly. Trainers will teach skills and measure short- and medium-term knowledge and scanning ability, while the devices are used to scan trauma patients at participating hospitals. If the program is practical and works well in this setting, it could expand access to diagnostic imaging for many more injured people across the country.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help doctors spot life-threatening internal bleeding sooner and reduce preventable deaths after injury in Cameroon.
How similar studies have gone: Point-of-care ultrasound has shown promise and practicality in other low-resource settings, but smartphone-based programs in Cameroon are a newer approach that is still being tested.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Christie, Sabrinah Ariane — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Christie, Sabrinah Ariane
Related research
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Smartphone ultrasound to speed trauma diagnosis in Cameroon
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Smartphone ultrasound to speed diagnosis and care for trauma patients in Cameroon
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Smartphone ultrasound to find and treat dangerous injuries in Cameroon
This project teaches Cameroonian trauma clinicians to use smartphone-connected ultrasound so they can find and treat life-threatening bleeding and other injuries faster.
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3D Ultrasonography to Measure Vitreous Structure and Movement over Time
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.