Clarius Mobile Health, which first introduced wireless handheld imaging to medical specialties in 2016, says its third-generation device, the HD3, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. approved this week, will also help improve MSK ultrasound training.
WHY IT IMPORTANT
With FDA approval, the new MSK AI model will be available with the Clarius L7 HD3 and Clarius L15 HD3 ultrasound scanners introduced last year, according to the announcement.
“AI automation is a new field, and we are excited to be the first company in the world to receive an FDA license to use AI for superfoods,” said President and CEO Ohad Arazi. musculoskeletal sounds. in the statement.
When taking MSK images for specific anatomical locations – plantar fascia or foot, Achilles tendon or ankle, and patellar tendon or knee – the AI program analyzes and displays a precise color transparent overlay. tendon determination.
Clinicians can then pause the image, and the device uses AI to label the tendon and determine the maximum thickness, automatically placing the gauge relative to the upper and lower portion of the tendon in the region. Thickest.
Users can also change the measure “to make any necessary adjustments to support clinical decision-making,” the company said.
The company notes that ultrasound imaging has reached a new level of “affordability and usability”, with the cost on its website advertised at about half the list price in 2016. when they received the 510(k) license for their wireless ultrasound-based scanner application.
An early tester, orthopedic surgeon Alan Hirahara, commented on how adding AI would help train people new to handheld orthopedic scanners.
“This technology will also help existing users standardize the way structures are measured,” he said in the announcement. “In the study, the observed server variability exists for any structural measurement. With the standardization of the AI measurement, the associated server reliability issues will now arise. does not exist.”
TREND TO BIGGER
Ultrasound is an important tool in countless healthcare practices. They are so common that COVID-19 staff shortages that are still prevalent in the healthcare sector are affecting the number of appointments available and may be a contributing factor. health inequalities.
With in situ ultrasound (POCUS) devices, clinicians can perform ultrasounds right in the clinic and speed care as they serve more patients and help them overcome ultra-booking bottlenecks. minus.
“Newer devices are portable, affordable, durable, and through the aid of AI and highly available software in addition to being easily integrated in clinical systems and workflows available,” said Dr. John Martin, chief medical officer of Butterfly Network. another ultrasound platform provider.
Dr. Mark Favot, associate professor and director of EM Ultrasound Education at Wayne State University School of Medicine in Detroit, also spoke to us last year about how AI can enhance the effectiveness of POCUS devices. to improve access to care and reduce health care costs.
“Artificial intelligence has the potential to significantly increase the effectiveness of POCUS, primarily by reducing the impact of low confidence in image interpretation, which is one of the most common barriers to entry,” he said. implementation of POCUS”.
ON PROFILE
“AI is not here to replace the final decision of the clinician, and it is commendable that the FDA recognizes the value of AI in optimizing ultrasound image acquisition,” Arazi said in the announcement. .
“If you’ve ever taken ultrasound imaging, you know that it’s very demanding. What’s really exciting about AI and ultrasound is that it now allows healthcare practitioners to be less proficient. Get quality images to make meaningful clinical decisions quickly.”
Andrea Fox is the senior editor of Healthcare IT News.
Email: [email protected]
Healthcare IT News is a publication of HIMSS.
