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Albuquerque, NM, May 7, 2002 -Tom Anderson, a pioneer in haptics (touch) technology, and CEO of Novint Technologies, Inc, a development partner of Manhattan Scientifics, Inc. (OTC BB: MHTX), announced today the creation of a new prenatal e-Touch™ technology that allows parents' unprecedented interaction with their unborn child by providing the ability to touch the child's virtual image. In honor of Mother's Day, Anderson will unveil the innovative 3-D ultrasound touch system at New Mexico Sonographics, a medical facility located in Albuquerque, NM later this week. The scans are taken on the GE Voluson 730 system, which is based on standard ultrasound and is therefore safe for mother and child.
e-Touch, a brand identity for Novint, allows the user to feel a vast array of textures including the feel of the baby's face and skin by using a special computer mouse which registers the contact and creates the sensation of touch, which is transmitted through the user's hand. The groundbreaking new application for 3D ultrasound offers the ability to feel the image of the unborn baby, enhancing the connection with the child.
"This is an exciting tool that not only gives parents the first glimpse of their child, but also the life-like contact which enables bonding with their child," said Anderson. "The real importance is that the ability to touch may aid early diagnosis of medical problems. Previously, neither parents nor the medical community have had such hands on interaction with a fetus in utero."
Tom Anderson and his wife Kari are expecting their first child in July of this year, and he has used the technology to virtually meet his own son. "I have touched my son's cheek, and he is not born yet! It was such an incredible moment to touch him for the first time - I remember the experience clearly and will never forget it. I know what my son's face looks like, and I have spent hours already touching his nose and lips and face, discovering all of his features."
Jan Easton Carrasco, co-founder of New Mexico Sonographics, said, "many of our patients are referred by Doctors for specific medical evaluations, but we have had a number of parents who want to use the 3D ultrasound technology simply to see their unborn child, make sure everything is going well in the pregnancy, and now with Novint's technology, actually touch their baby. This service is affordable to many parents, costing around $250 for an exam, well worth the cost to many for the peace of mind and the experience it brings." A 3D ultrasound scan is taken of the baby, where a parent can see what the baby looks like. These images are then loaded into the e-Touch software where a parent can see the baby from any direction, including straight on or from his or her profile.
The technology could be used in a wide range of medical procedures, such as exploring breast tumors, or doing pre-operative surgical planning. Dr. Glenroy Heywood, from the University of New Mexico Department of Surgery, said, "We are beginning to explore utilizing Novint's e-Touch technology for pre-operative cancer surgery planning in the abdomen. We think there is tremendous potential to utilize 3D ultrasounds and touch interactions to quickly and accurately understand a patient's individual anatomy and needs for an upcoming surgery."
The e-Touch technology is important because it represents a fundamental change that makes computers more intuitive, flexible, and functional and therefore more valuable. Buying a sweater or a suit on the Internet will resemble real life. One will be able to feel the texture of fabrics and even their weight while shopping at home. You could test drive a car, touch the dash and instruments, or even learn how to repair it. Kids can play with virtual toys in the same manner as real life over the Internet. The technology will impact computer games, distance learning, training of dentists, surgeons, mechanics, musicians, and sculptors, and will be used to educate our children. Additional applications include an interface for the blind, military simulation, computer-aided design (CAD), computer animation and modeling, e-commerce, automobile and tire design, and modeling for oil and gas exploration.