Mental disorders and psychiatric illnesses are very challenging to diagnose, but a new software designed by domestic experts can diagnose six illnesses much faster than traditional methods.
Using advanced processes, the diagnostic software gains insight into illnesses that the traditional treatment was unable to, according to the news portal of the Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology.
The software diagnoses chronic depression, chronic anxiety, bipolar disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and schizophrenia.
“A collection of data from different patients with disorders in this field has been collected, which includes structural, functional and structural-functional images,” said Mohammad Reza Nazemzadeh, a faculty member of Tehran University of Medical Sciences.
The new method uses magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to provide accurate information about each individual and acts as an effective diagnostic aid tool.
The images are evaluated to determine the type of disease and the damaged area in the brain, following which an appropriate treatment protocol is recommended.
In the field of mental health, all methods and diagnoses are made based on face-to-face interviews and visits by a psychologist, while with this method, X-rays provide more detailed images and information to the doctor.
The treatment of the disease, which observes advanced protocols, is scientifically precise and gives faster results.
The advanced version of the software uses five archetypes from each field whose images before and after treatment are adapted to the models that are specific to the Iranian patient under study. This feature will be added to the current version of the software in the early months of the next fiscal year (starting March 21).
With the development of this psycho-radiology software, Iran ranks among the few countries using this technology.
The use of artificial intelligence in the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness is one of the examples of convergent technologies.
The software has reached the production stage.
Lead-Free Protection for Medical Staff
The wider use of technology in the medical field is gaining momentum in Iran.
With the development of technology for producing non-lead clothing that safeguards against X-rays and protects people’s health, one of the medical requirements has been indigenized.
This product is a kind of X-ray absorbing rubber that is a suitable alternative to lead coats.
Shiva Shahnashenas, CEO of Ideh Sazan-e Fanavari Proshot Company, said this product has foreign counterparts, but there are no non-lead coats in Iran.
These clothes are lighter than lead coats and non-toxic. It is also very flexible and not fragile, unlike lead-coats.
The product is of equal or higher quality compared to foreign counterparts, and has a lower production cost and end price.
X-Ray Absorbing Curtains at Airports
X-absorbent rubber in the form of clothing can be used in all radiology, radiography and nuclear medicine centers.
This rubber can also be used as X-ray absorbing curtains at airports. Due to its high durability and lightweight, it can be installed on walls.
Its rubber layer has a high absorption power and its lack of brittleness in folded parts is one of its advantages.
The product has acquired the ISO 13485 standards from England, CE license, national standards and medical equipment standards.
Electrical Heart Activity Recorder
Holter heart monitor is a device that records the electrical activity of the heart continuously and full time.
Mohsen Avesta, CEO of Kavoshgaran Teb Kharazmi Medical Engineering Company, said, "A Holter is a device that records the electrical activity of the heart for at least 24 hours."
When symptoms such as dizziness, fainting, low blood pressure, prolonged fatigue and palpitations appear in a patient without a definitive diagnosis, a resting signal is obtained by a Holter or EC, which help monitor the patient more effectively.
Some abnormal heart rhythms may occur intermittently, or only in certain conditions, such as stress. Arrhythmias are difficult to be diagnosed through an ECG, as they last for only a few minutes.
A cardiologist, therefore, prescribes a Holter monitor to provide a better opportunity to record heart activity, or abnormal rhythms that may be causing symptoms.
The Holter device is easily connected to the patient's body by chest electrodes and continuously records the heart's electrical signals in normal living conditions on its memory card to help the doctor have a more complete diagnosis of arrhythmias.
The device will be connected to the person for 24-48 hours and is portable.
Avesta noted that the Holter produced in the country is 50% cheaper than foreign counterparts and also offers after-sales services, which are not available for foreign counterparts.
