Students and physicians flying to Haiti in March will have a powerful carry-on item with them on the plane.

The group, members of the Wayne State University School of Medicine's student-run World Health Student Organization, will travel on their spring break medical mission trip with the M-Turbo, a compact, heavy-duty ultrasonography machine that has a history of reliability in the field, most commonly for military use.

The trip brings second-year medical students to Morne, Haiti, the week of March 15. In partnership with Rays of Hope for Haiti, a non-profit organization based in Michigan, medical students and physicians from WSU will set up a clinic over five days to deliver free medical care to residents displaced by the nation's 2010 earthquake and living in extreme poverty.

"Our mission is to provide patients with the best care possible, and part of this mission involves assessing health emergencies within our patient populations, and when necessary, transporting them to the nearest hospital for care. Ultrasonography will allow us to examine each patient's condition more carefully, and make better-informed decisions regarding their care," said David Springstead, a second-year medical student and WHSO's co-chair of drug and supplies.

The machine is made by SonoSite, a Bothell-Wash.,-based ultrasonography manufacturer.

The School of Medicine purchased several ultrasound machines from SonoSite last year to use in its ongoing ultrasound technology curriculum for medical students. Conjoint Teaching Services Coordinator Scott Nelsen knew that SonoSite had a history of developing rugged ultrasound devices for military use and a program that permitted organizations to take loaner machines on medical mission trips at no cost. He told Springstead, and with help from Assistant Dean of Academic and Student Programs Matt Jackson, Ph.D., the student applied to take advantage of the company's Global Health Missions program. Springstead already knew the challenges of diagnosis in Haiti, having traveled there with WHSO in March 2013.

"Machines such as the M-Turbo will allow us to gain important diagnostic information that we have been lacking on previous trips, allowing us to gain a fuller understanding of the pathology behind our patients' symptoms. For example, we will be able to perform 'FAST,' or Focused Assessment with Sonography for Trauma examinations, to detect life-threatening damage to vital organs. The equipment will also allow us to perform obstetric examinations," Springstead said.

He is working with Jeff Lankowsky, a second-year medical student and his WHSO drug and supplies co-chair, to organize the supplies, equipment and medications they will take to Haiti. "Our job is to ensure that our physicians and students are equipped to provide the highest quality care possible," he said.

Springstead was introduced to the fundamentals of ultrasonography in his first year of medical school.

"It is such a versatile and effective method for detecting and examining internal anatomical features, and as students, we were amazed and excited to learn about its uses in clinical practice," he said. "Scott Nelsen and Dr. Jackson have been in frequent contact with SonoSite since our school began using their ultrasound equipment, and they were really the ones who enabled us to initiate the agreement."

SonoSite makes its current product line available for loan to U.S.-based physicians and ultrasound-trained health care workers engaged in humanitarian efforts in developing countries. To support these medical missions, the equipment is typically loaned for approximately two weeks, said Sonosite marketing manager Lisa Ault. An application must meet SonoSite's guidelines for humanitarian aid.

Medical students will be accompanied and supervised by Wayne State University physicians, including Department of Internal Medicine Associate Professor and Vice Chair of Education Diane Levine, M.D.

They also will collaborate with Haitian medical students from Université Notre Dame d'Haiti.

"I am thrilled about the initiative that SonoSite has taken to empower medical relief groups by lending their equipment," Springstead said. "Organizations like ours would never have access to such amazing resources without such generosity."

For more information on SonoSite's Global Health program, visit http://www.sonosite.com/global-health.