Technology

The missing link in better healthcare for all, beyond AI and machine learning, could be in the low cost, portable, read/write, medical imaging systems Openwater is developing. 

We are devising a new generation of portable medical imaging technologies to enable improved access to medical diagnoses and treatments.  The core of our breakthough image quality is in our opto-electronic and holographic systems, and novel lasers that enable our portable system to rival the resolution and image quality of multi-million dollar medical imaging scanners. 

​

Below are examples of the image quality we have achieved with our breakthrough scanning systems that use just red and near-infrared light and ultrasound pings.

Non-invasive imaging

of rat tumor

Openwater image of rat tumor

3D Openwater scan of rat tumor

Openwater kidney imaging

​

Kidney vasculature using Openwater Imaging

Openwater systems showing renal

pyramids in pig kidney

Openwater vs MRI kidney imaging comp.

(Opewater on the left, MRI on the right)

Over the last two years we have built new lasers, cameras, ultrasonic systems and put them together in slimmed down holographic system architectures - we have also designed and built new compute/control systems, electronics boards, firmware, and software to enable scanning of the body and invented and built novel image reconstruction techniques and image visualization software.  We then refined these systems, and in the process made some breakthroughs in image quality - and continue to do so

Today we have 8 rapid prototyping systems at Openwater that enable us to try scanning different features of the body and to rapidly reconfigure our systems to create new kinds of both functional and structural scanning. 

​

In addition we are now building prototypes for different indications including blood flow (for stroke detection in ambulance), oxy/deoxy and full-structural imaging of different organs for different conditions like cancers.

Above is a concept for a wand system that can see inside brain and body at full depth, or in higher resolution for shallower penetration.

Example of an Openwater Scan System for rapid prototyping

Above are two concepts for brain scanning systems - on the left for bloodflow only (for in ambulance stroke detection).  On the right is a system for  blood flow, oxy/deoxy + full brain structural scanner concept.

We have about 30 patents in process, some that are fully issued or have been published below.  We will be publishing in the scientific literature as well in the future. 

​

1. Optical imaging in a diffuse medium - link here

2. Device for optical imaging - link here

3. Expanding beam optical element - link here

4. Co-located imaging and display pixel - link here

5. Optical transformation device for imaging - link here

6. System and device for optical transformation - link here

​

Here are a few links to some recent talks on Openwater explaining the technology in more detail. 

TED Talk - Mary Lou Jepsen at the 2018 TED Annual Conference - Vancouver, Canada - Introducing the basic physics behind the Openwater system. ~1 Million views!

Wired Health 2019 - London -  talk by Mary Lou Jepsen - April 2019 - updates on the Openwater systems

Long Now Seminar on Long Term Thinking (SALT) - Nov 29 2018​ - Discussing the long term implications of Openwater. 

​