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Intelligent Ultrasound's NeedleTrainer AI technology is transforming medical training

15:38, 9th August 2022
Victor Parker
Vox Newswire
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[source: Intelligent Ultrasound]

Intelligent Ultrasound (IUG Follow | IUG), a leading "classroom to clinic" ultrasound company, specializes in AI software and augmented reality simulation for the ultrasound training market, as well as AI-based clinical image analysis for the diagnostic medical ultrasound market.

NeedleTrainer, the Group's third AI-related product, which incorporates proprietary trainer software to teach ultrasound-guided needling to medical professionals, was soft launched in October.

Earlier this year, Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW), a special authority within NHS Wales, invested in Intelligent Ultrasound’s NeedleTrainer platform. HEIW is responsible for postgraduate training of all junior doctors in Wales. The investment was made to address an increased emphasis placed on ultrasound-guided regional anaesthesia (UGRA) following a change in the Royal College of Anaesthetists’ national training curriculum in August 2021.

Essentially, ultrasound-guided regional anaesthesia (UGRA) necessitates needle-probe manipulation to maintain visualisation of a needle tip on an ultrasound image, as it is advanced to a target where local anaesthetic is deposited. Learning and practicing this skill safely has not been an easy task.

Sarah Harries, Head of School for Anaesthesia and HEIW Associate Dean, explains: "While training and early clinical practice remained safe, as the trainee was always closely supervised, there were risks of needle misplacement leading to nerve damage, pneumothorax, or vascular puncture. We needed a learning solution that would allow trainees to practice and develop this skill prior to injecting a real patient, minimising risks."

In simple terms, a subject is needed to practice needle insertion and identifying the correct location for depositing anaesthesia, and there are inherent risks associated with practicing on human subjects. HEIW considered a number of alternatives, including the use of cadaveric facilities and phantom models. However, these proved limited in scope and fidelity, were expensive and did not provide widespread opportunity for learners across Wales to practise.

Enter Intelligent Ultrasound (IU)'s NeedleTrainer technology. NeedleTrainer uses a retractable mock needle and virtual image overlays to simulate needling non-invasively on a live participant, using the authentic, live ultrasound scan.

In simpler terms, NeedleTrainer provides a spring tipped mock needle which can be pressed onto the skin of a volunteer while they are being scanned with an ultrasound machine. The software then superimposes the virtual needle on to the ultrasound image, allowing the learner to practice moving both the needle and probe independently, and advancing the needle safely towards a target.

This enables trainees to safely develop "hand-eye coordination, optimum positioning, and accuracy in ultrasound-guided interventional procedures in a safe, realistic, clinical environment", Intelligent Ultrasound says.

HEIW selected NeedleTrainer as it was considered "the most realistic simulated training available". It is currently the only commercially available device which uses augmented reality technology to simulate needle placement on real-time ultrasound. HEIW's investment will allow the rollout of a teaching programme to over 260 anaesthetic trainees across 12 hospitals in Wales. More similar contracts and programmes will likely follow.

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Besides the training of anaesthesiologists, there is a wide range of applications for AI-assisted anatomy recognition, augmented reality, and other related technologies that are transforming radiology. Intelligent Ultrasound is a pioneer in this space, but smart ultrasound technology is already being adopted by major players in the industry e.g. GE, and the medical AI imaging field is only expected to grow. Diagnostic ultrasound imaging can benefit greatly from AI analysis and is where the bulk of impact will likely be felt.

As AI technology develops, it will inevitably impact other interventional and non-interventional radiology procedures, offloading more of the work and experience needed from dedicated practitioners. We may in fact begin to see AI-assisted ultrasound technology employed by health care professionals within a range fields, without requiring much dedicated training, and potentially even obviating the need for dedicated ultrasound practitioners in the more distant future.

This rollout of AI into medical imaging is a rapidly growing area of the ultrasound equipment market, expected to grow from $7.8bn this year to $12.9bn by 2028, following Covid disruption that held back growth in the last two years as medical conferences were cancelled.

As with any disruptive technology, companies that got an early start, such as Intelligent Ultrasound, are well-positioned to benefit from its future expansion. Intelligent Ultrasound is rapidly cementing its position as a leading provider of AI-based products to the ultrasound market, as demonstrated by its partnership with GE Healthcare. The company recently reported 64% higher revenues for the 6 months to 30 June. And earlier in May, it reported solid revenue growth in FY21, and an expanding AI portfolio, with both of its divisions growing 47% YoY, and an upgraded revenue forecast for FY22.

IUG shares have also held steady this year in difficult markets, reflecting its comfortable funding position, and the progress it's making in developing products that continue to drive the company towards profitability. Cenkos expects sales of £10m and a reduced Ebitda loss of £2.1m in FY 2022 ahead of a ramp up of Clinical AI royalties and the rollout of new variants of the ScanNav AI platform, including solutions for the nascent home scanning market.

Make sure to Follow | IUG Intelligent Ultrasound, so you do not miss more exciting news from the company in the future.

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