MIDLINER

Typical Number in Hospital: 1

Cost Bands: 4

References: 1

This is a trade name for an ultrasonic A-scanner which automatically computes the position and displacement of the membranes (falx cerebri) separating the two lobes of the brain. It does not display the A-scan but identifies the large echoes representing the near and far side skull positions and examines the central area for echoes which could represent the falx cerebri. As the probe is manipulated on the skin above the ear the midliner presents numbers which represent the position of the midline echo in millimetres from the central position. The operator fills in a small chart with the results until there are sufficient to give a statistically correct indication of its position while ignoring the occasional incorrect result. The device is claimed to significantly reduce the number of incorrect diagnoses of shift of the midline.