University of Idaho engineering team earns $10K for real-time X-ray technology development

MOSCOW, Idaho -- A University of Idaho (U of I) engineering team is using $10,000 earned through top placement in entrepreneurial competitions to develop X-ray technology.

Many medical and surgical procedures require real-time X-rays to be precise, accurate, and safe. Those include reconstruction of complex joint fractures, in urology, gastroenterology, cardiac, emergency and more. These devices are known as C-arms, and they provide imaging for deep tissue. With current technology, a tech has to manually move and reposition the device throughout the procedure or surgery, which adds 20 to 40 additional minutes.

The U of I team that secured the funding is teaming up with Whitman Hospital & Medical Clinics in Colfax to develop a first-of-its-kind, automated C-arm that is aimed at cutting down procedural time and costs and reducing unneeded X-ray radiation exposure to patients.

Dr. Douglas Hiller, an orthopedic surgeon at Whitman Hospital, has been working with the students to solve the problem he has faced for more than 35 years.

“For surgeons, the C-arm is a huge distraction and cause of frustration,” Hiller said. “It’s cumbersome and difficult to move, and we end up with many more images than are needed. I’ve been thinking about this project since 1988.”

Students on the team include project manager Hailey Faith of Everett, Washington, as well as Hunter Holbrook of Boise, Kyle Fiske of Lewiston, Toby Mclenon of Coeur d’Alene, Alphonse Crittenden of Boise and Turner Zischka of Livermore, California.

“Our retrofitted guidance system allows the technician to see the coordinates in the real-time image and save them in the system,” Faith said. “That makes it easy to direct the C-arm back to the original position.”

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