A research team led by Dr. Gede Bayu Suparta from Physics Department of Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Science UGM has developed Madeena, a technology in digital X ray radiography for medical diagnosis.
The technology uses fluorescence screen and digital camera, named as Radiografi Sinar-x Fluoresens Digital (RSFD). The RSFD technology performance is equal to that of Direct Digital Radiography (DDR) technology that uses flat detectors or Radiografi Flat Detektor (RFD). This device is much sought after by Indonesian hospitals.
“Due to the high price of the DDR, not all hospitals can have it. (The high price) implicates the cost to be paid by the patients,” said Gede.
With Madeena, the X-ray costs can be minimised. Bayu said the device can be accessed in real time without the need to wait for manual printouts like those from conventional devices. Doctors can also access Madeena without the need to be present in the radiology location. The process can be done very quickly through radiographers, physicist in medicine, and radiology doctors on-line.
“So, this minimises physical presence in a health unit. The radiography process is very safe for the patients, radiation workers, nurses, and paramedics because the radiation exposure is 1/100 of the threshold set up by the BAPETEN,” he said.
Bayu said Madeena, short from Made in Indonesia, was launched in early November 2019 after research being done since 1989.
“Patent of this device has been submitted to UGM as an intellectual asset of Indonesia,” he explained.
Downstreaming of the product just started in 2019 when Gede and team gained the momentum to develop the technology significantly. His team along with PT. Madeena improved the RSFD prototype in the lab of Fisika Citra FMIPA UGM and in BRSU Tabanan, Bali.
“Now finally, Madena can be downstreamed through a partnership between UGM, PT. Madeena, and CV Prestige. This has proved the success of research downstreaming of UGM to business societies,” he said.
Gede hoped the RSFD can be provided in 3,000 hospitals and clinics and 9,000 community health centres around the country to examine people’s health status. Combined with teleradiology system, the RSFD would allow documentation of health status of all Indonesian people.
“If the health status data can be maintained, the quality of Indonesian human resources can be predicted,” he said.