To address the lack of skills issue, vendors of handheld scanners are striving to simplify ease-of-use, both in terms of the device itself and integrated tele-ultrasound services that connect novice users with experts at separate locations over two-way audio and video calls. The latest generation of handheld scanners feature numerous presets for common exam types, and artificial intelligence (AI) is being applied to enable physicians with no prior scanning experience to capture high-quality images. AI-guided ultrasound will help users to identify body parts and correctly position the transducer to maximize the image quality for a given exam. Moving forward, AI will also play an increasingly important role in image interpretation, providing physicians with automated measurements, anomaly detection and diagnostic decision support.

The use of AI in ultrasound is at an early stage and the first solutions are now coming to market. These are point solutions that support the interpretation of specific exam types, e.g., automated ejection fraction calculation for cardiac assessments. In the near future we expect to see AI solutions with broader functionality that can support in the detection and diagnosis of multiple conditions for a body area. In parallel, the first handheld scanners with AI to support during the image acquisition process are expected to hit the market in the next year or two. The advent of smart devices with AI for both image acquisition and interpretation will be the catalyst for the more widespread use of handheld ultrasound, both in primary and multiple other care settings. By 2023, the global market for handheld ultrasound is forecast to exceed $400 million.


About the author: Simon Harris is the managing director for Signify Research, an independent supplier of market intelligence and consultancy to the global healthcare technology industry. Signify Research is headquartered in Cranfield, U.K.

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