Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) algorithms have made great strides in medical imaging over the past number of years; ultrasound somewhat lags behind other modalities in this area because of the real-time imaging aspect and there being a greater push over the last 20 years for bedside interpretation instead of the traditional radiological over-read.

AI and ML have great potential to offer diagnostic capabilities for ultrasound, but the barrier around accuracy, false negatives, and regulatory clearances remains a longer term problem to address in order for these technologies to come to market.

However, in the shorter-term, AI can play a significant role in workflow automation to enhance the user experience of navigating interfaces, automating captures, and even making measurements that can be confirmed by the user. With a focus on workflow-based AI, researchers and commercial manufacturers can get algorithms into the wild more quickly with less regulatory barriers and fear of misdiagnosis, and thus start using novel neural-network technologies.

A presentation by Kris Dickie, VP Research & Development at Clarius Mobile Health.

View of the Speaker

Question 1: What drives you?
Building cool things.

Question 2: Why should the delegate attend your session?
The world of POCUS is fast-moving, especially with the advent of low-cost handheld devices; learn more from an industry expert with over 20+ years of designing POCUS systems.

Question 3: What emerging technologies / trends do you see as having the greatest potential in the short and long run?
Short term – low cost devices offering similar or equivalent capabilities to the traditional ultrasound systems.
Long term – automated diagnostics, wearables.

Question 4: What kind of impact do you expect them to have?
Ultrasound is still used by only a small subset of the medical community; it can be envisioned that in 10 – 20 years, all practices from hospital physicians, nurses, physiotherapists, nursing home care staff – they will all use some form of ultrasound device aiding them in their practice – it will become more prevalent than the stethoscope.

Question 5: What are the barriers that might stand in the way?
Education and automating interpretation.

About Kris Dickie
Hands-on Engineering and Product Manager focused on developing novel products in the medical device space.

About Clarius
With decades of experience in the medical imaging industry, we know that clinicians rely on great ultrasound images to treat patients with confidence. That’s why image quality is our core guiding principle.

Today, as many as 25 million medical professionals globally do not have access to medical imaging, which is proven to improve patient care and reduce healthcare costs. As pioneers in miniaturizing ultrasound, we’re on a mission to make medical imaging accessible everywhere by delivering high-performance, affordable and easy-to-use solutions with the power of artificial intelligence. We’re miniaturizing high quality point-of-care ultrasound to offer a safe and cost-effective option for clinicians in every specialty.

Since we sold our first wireless handheld ultrasound scanner in December 2016, more than 20,000 clinicians have used Clarius for more than a half million scans. Our next generation product is smaller and offers even better performance thanks to feedback from our customers and advancing technology.

Kris Dickie is invited speaker at the 2022 edition of POCUS Conference.