This new portable X-Ray device will let you X-Ray yourself at home
In time all technologies get smaller, more performant, and cheaper - even gigantic X-Ray machines.
Key takeaways
- Oh, and cameras that can now flow around in your blood stream taking photos of your insides.
- Soon, however, it may be possible for them to perform their own X-rays, using a compact device that could be located just about anywhere.
- Currently under development at Finland's University of Oulu, the prototype portable X-ray machine measures just 50 by 50 by 130 cm, or 20 by 20 by 51 inches.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2021) 'This new portable X-Ray device will let you X-Ray yourself at home', 311 Institute, 31 January. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/this-new-portable-x-ray-device-will-let-you-x-ray-yourself-at-home/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Everything it seems is getting smaller – from Brain Machine Interfaces that can read your thoughts and emotions that can now be packed into a pair of common-a-garden glasses, right through to massive MRI machines which can be wheeled to patients beds and gargantuan particle accelerators which now fit on a chip. Oh, and cameras that can now flow around in your blood stream taking photos of your insides. Say "Cheese!"
Today, if someone has been involved in a potentially bone-breaking mishap, they have to be X-rayed by trained staff at a hospital. Soon, however, it may be possible for them to perform their own X-rays, using a compact device that could be located just about anywhere. Furthermore, as AI gets better at analysing those X-Ray images one day that same AI will be able to diagnose your issue for you, again, at home.
The new portable X-Ray machine encased in a box. Courtesy: UOO.
Currently under development at Finland's University of Oulu, the prototype portable X-ray machine measures just 50 by 50 by 130 cm, or 20 by 20 by 51 inches.
Not only is it much smaller than conventional X-ray systems which often occupy the corner of a large room, but because it incorporates built-in radiation shielding the new device doesn't have to kept in a lead-lined room, nor does it have to be operated from a separate area.
In fact, it utilises a video screen to guide patients through the process, showing them how and where to place the injured appendage. It then automatically takes the X-rays, and tells the user if a break is detected.
At the moment its instructions, and its imaging voltage, are currently set up for X-raying bones in the palm and ankle, but the developers say more regions will be added as the system is developed.
The idea behind the technology is that the relatively inexpensive machines could be set up at locations such as ski resorts or medical clinics, where patients could self-check their injuries to see if a bone was indeed broken before they needed to take a trip to an expensive hospital for any treatment. Not only would this reduce the demands placed on larger, pricier, more sophisticated X-ray systems, and their operators, but it would also help bring this valuable medical tool to remote regions of the world where healthcare infrastructure is poor.
Source: University of Oulu
FAQ
Why does this matter?
In time all technologies get smaller, more performant, and cheaper - even gigantic X-Ray machines.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Sources and further reading
- University of Oulu oulu.fi
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 31 January 2021. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2021). This new portable X-Ray device will let you X-Ray yourself at home. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/this-new-portable-x-ray-device-will-let-you-x-ray-yourself-at-home/
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