What You Should Know:
– Philips has secured a second round of funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to accelerate global adoption of AI algorithms on its Lumify Handheld Ultrasound. The second round of funding brings a total of $60M from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
– The AI technology simplifies key measurements to identify abnormalities during pregnancy, significantly reducing the training time required for ultrasound use from weeks to hours.
New AI-Guided Algorithms Assist in Risk-Based Triaging
Philips Lumify will be the first point-of-care ultrasound device to assist non-expert users by automating image acquisition and interpretation for a comprehensive set of obstetrics measurements, expanding access to early fetal ultrasound scans. The goal is to reduce maternal mortality by aiding healthcare workers, such as midwives, in identifying potential problems during pregnancy at an early stage. The partnership aims to bring health technology to underserved areas globally, helping prevent maternal deaths during childbirth.
Pilot Trial Results in Kenya
During a trial period in Kenya, feedback on the new tool has shown positive impact. Thanks to digitalization, informatics, and AI, interpretation of the images is not required by the operator. Weeks of training for midwives have been reduced to hours, without negatively affecting confidence in triage. Expectant moms also find it comforting to know how their baby is progressing. Depending on the results, patients can be referred to a credentialed sonographer for image review and further investigation if needed.