🧠 Portable CT Scans at Sea: Turning an Idea Into a Life Saving Reality

It started with a question that kept coming back to me.

What if we could bring CT scanning to sea?

Working in maritime medicine for years, I saw firsthand the critical gap in diagnostic imaging. We could stabilize patients, manage symptoms, and make educated clinical decisions. But in cases of head trauma or suspected stroke, we were missing the one thing that could change the outcome: a clear picture of what was happening inside the brain.

Every time we had to medically evacuate someone just to get a scan, it reinforced the same thought. We could do better.

When I stepped into the role of Medical Director at one of the world’s leading cruise lines, I knew this was the moment to act. I did not just support the idea. I led it. From concept to execution, I was responsible for bringing portable CT scan technology onboard.

We started by identifying systems compact and resilient enough for the maritime environment. Then came the complex work. We solved for structural reinforcement, radiation shielding, power supply, software integration, and clinical protocols. We worked with engineers, architects, radiologists, and ship operations teams. We trained medical staff and redesigned workflows around a new, more advanced diagnostic capability.

What began as a single idea became a transformation.

With portable CT scanners onboard, physicians can now diagnose ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes in real time. They can detect internal bleeding following trauma without delay. They can make fast, accurate, data driven decisions that improve care and save lives.

The result has been fewer unnecessary and extremely costly medical evacuations, better patient outcomes, and a new level of confidence for shipboard medical teams.

At Anchor Health Consulting, this is the kind of innovation we bring to life. We help cruise lines and remote medical operations think differently, work smarter, and raise the bar for what care at sea can truly be. Not as a luxury but as essential care.