Long night of the sciences of Berlin and Potsdam, Germany (08.06.2018)
Every year in June about 70 universities and research centers in Berlin and Potsdam open their doors to the public for a night of science and communication with guided tours, experiments and prospective talks. Last Saturday, our research group also joined the event offering an “ultrasound measurement of bone” using Bi-Directional Axial Transmission (BDAT).
We had a small booth where a medical doctor colleague and friend of us was receiving the visitors, informing them about the measurement and collecting their personal data and signed confirmation of consent. After this, everyone was receiving a measurement of the velocity of the first arriving signal that was transmitted to the cortical bone of the distal radius using a BDAT probe developed by UPMC, which was certified at Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin. The data was processed live and each visitor received a printed report of her/his measurement results, together with a simple explanation of the physical principle of BDAT.
Despite the very hot weather, our institute got crowded early. When, at midnight, we turned off the device, 55 persons had been measured at the bone-ultrasound booth! We met curious families with their kids, researchers from other disciplines and groups of enthusiastic young students. Some of them were less direct while others asked it straight away, but it was clear that they all wanted to know: “How good are my bones?”
From my perspective, which is the perspective of basic science and in-vitro studies, I was surprised noticing how well people appreciate the relevance of ultrasound and understand its advantages. To explain that we scientists haven’t so far listened enough of the sound of bone in order to provide a full diagnosis of its health. That was the hardest part!
Gianluca Iori
Berlin-Brandenburg School for Regenerative Therapies
Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
