This portable ultrasound will beam images straight to your phone

Clarius

Have you ever looked at your phone and thought "this device is a pretty phenomenal illustration of man's mastery over nature… but I really wish I could use it to see inside the uteri of pregnant women"? Then good news, as a new medical gadget from Clarius could solve this most urgent of problems.

The company has managed to miniaturise the ultrasounds scanner and turn it into a handheld device capable of beaming images back to iPhone and Android devices.

According to Phone Arena, the thinking is that the device could enable doctors in remote areas to scan people without the need for a trip to a hospital. This could mean that easy procedures like a nerve block or a guided injection could be performed instantly.

Snapping Pictures

Clarius says that it wants the accompanying app to be as easy to use as your phone's Camera. Though sadly there is no details on whether you'll be able to export snaps of your kidney stones straight to Instagram.

The company has yet to announce pricing or a release date - and as a medical device it will need the approval of America's Food & Drugs Administration first too. But the expectation is that it will work out much cheaper than a traditional ultrasound machine, which usually costs around $25,000 and that several of these could be bought for that price.