A technology that can change the way women check their baby’s health is in the final stages of development. PulseNmore LTD, an Israeli startup is developing a handheld ultrasound device that can be connected to any smartphone for monitoring the growth of a fetus.

The device has been designed to display images of the baby on the screen and the images can be sent to the personal doctor of the pregnant woman. The invention has the power to make a paradigm change in the manner in which ultrasound tests are conducted and the frequency of testing the health of the child in the womb. The invention would be particularly useful in a country like Israel, where the average amount of tests conducted are around 6-8.

The invention in final development stages offers the key benefit of what Prof. Israel Meisner, head of the Obstetric Ultrasound Unit at Rabin Medical Center calls "the calming effect". Often, when a woman does not experience movement, she calls her doctor who would most likely recommend she go to an emergency room. This device offers the alternative of placing the phone on the stomach and observing the progress of the baby, naturally calming the mother down.

Though the device has been successfully tested in the United States, it is yet to be approved by the Israeli Health Ministry. Once certified by the Health Ministry, the device, which can conduct around 25 ultrasound checks, will be marketed for around $190.