{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,20]],"date-time":"2026-10-20T18:29:16Z","timestamp":1792520956216,"version":"4.5.0"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2021,9,4]],"date-time":"2021-09-04T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1630713600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"DOI":"10.13039\/501100008627","name":"Global Affairs Canada","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","award":["CA-3-D000920001"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CA-3-D000920001"]}],"id":[{"id":"10.13039\/501100008627","id-type":"DOI","asserted-by":"publisher"}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["TropicalMed"],"abstract":"<jats:p>X-ray screening is an important tool in tuberculosis (TB) prevention and care, but access has historically been restricted by its immobile nature. As recent advancements have improved the portability of modern X-ray systems, this study represents an early evaluation of the safety, image quality and yield of using an ultra-portable X-ray system for active case finding (ACF). We reported operational and radiological performance characteristics and compared image quality between the ultra-portable and two reference systems. Image quality was rated by three human readers and by an artificial intelligence (AI) software. We deployed the ultra-portable X-ray alongside the reference system for community-based ACF and described TB care cascades for each system. The ultra-portable system operated within advertised specifications and radiologic tolerances, except on X-ray capture capacity, which was 58% lower than the reported maximum of 100 exposures per charge. The mean image quality rating from radiologists for the ultra-portable system was significantly lower than the reference (3.71 vs. 3.99, p &lt; 0.001). However, we detected no significant differences in TB abnormality scores using the AI software (p = 0.571), nor in any of the steps along the TB care cascade during our ACF campaign. Despite some shortcomings, ultra-portable X-ray systems have significant potential to improve case detection and equitable access to high-quality TB care.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/tropicalmed6030163","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2021,9,6]],"date-time":"2021-09-06T23:55:22Z","timestamp":1630972522000},"page":"163","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":42,"title":["Early Evaluation of an Ultra-Portable X-ray System for Tuberculosis Active Case Finding"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"6","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5937-6286","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Luan Nguyen Quang","family":"Vo","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Friends for International TB Relief, Ha Noi 100000, Vietnam"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Andrew","family":"Codlin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Friends for International TB Relief, Ha Noi 100000, Vietnam"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Thuc Doan","family":"Ngo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"IRD VN, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Thang Phuoc","family":"Dao","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"IRD VN, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Thuy Thi Thu","family":"Dong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Friends for International TB Relief, Ha Noi 100000, Vietnam"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Huong Thi Lan","family":"Mo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"IRD VN, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0716-3342","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rachel","family":"Forse","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Friends for International TB Relief, Ha Noi 100000, Vietnam"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Thao Thanh","family":"Nguyen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pham Ngoc Thach Hospital Quang Nam, Tam K\u1ef3 560000, Vietnam"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Cong Van","family":"Cung","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Lung Hospital, Ha Noi 100000, Vietnam"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hoa Binh","family":"Nguyen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Lung Hospital, Ha Noi 100000, Vietnam"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5447-133X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nhung Viet","family":"Nguyen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National Lung Hospital, Ha Noi 100000, Vietnam"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Van Van","family":"Nguyen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Health Quang Nam, Tam K\u1ef3 560000, Vietnam"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ngan Thi","family":"Tran","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"IRD VN, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Giang Hoai","family":"Nguyen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"IRD VN, Ho Chi Minh City 700000, Vietnam"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Zhi Zhen","family":"Qin","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Stop TB Partnership, 1218 Geneva, Switzerland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4885-940X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jacob","family":"Creswell","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Stop TB Partnership, 1218 Geneva, Switzerland"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2021,9,4]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"World Health Organization (2019). 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