Development of an automated image enhancement system to improve point-of-care ultrasound imaging for out-of-hospital settings

Liver disease represents a critical health concern, particularly within African American communities in the United States, where the impact is notably pronounced. The significance lies not only in the high prevalence of liver disease but also in observed differences in disease burden among population groups, including African Americans, who experience higher rates of advanced disease and related health outcomes. Variability in healthcare access and diagnostic resources across different locations has also been associated with delayed identification and treatment of liver disease, which may contribute to more advanced disease presentation at the time of diagnosis. Traditional medical imaging methods are often expensive and require access to specialized facilities, leading to disparities in access to care. Decentralized, cost-effective, and accessible medical imaging is needed. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) can potentially improve access to imaging services. Still, current systems suffer from shortcomings including poor image quality and, critically, the ongoing requirement for use by a trained technician in a clinical setting. Until these barriers are overcome ultrasound services cannot be easily provide. This is our mission at PONS. Our innovative AI-based POCUS technology will be the first to allow healthcare professionals (nurses, caregivers, pharmacists) not trained in ultrasound imaging to collect clinically acceptable high-quality ultrasound images collected outside the hospital settings. The simple workflow will result in high-quality images automatically being shared with providers. Our system will be so easy to use that it can be placed in non-hospital settings including pharmacies, rural clinics, and even patients’ homes. Coupled with the low-cost, fee-per-scan approach, our system will dramatically increase access to ultrasound services, improving the monitoring and early detection of liver disease resulting in improved management outcomes. Specific to this Phase1 application we will advance the patented PONS image enhancement technology, for liver disease identification and monitoring, through the development of novel AI solutions. To rigorously validate and benchmark the effectiveness of the developed methods, comprehensive testing will be conducted at Rutgers University Affiliated Research Hospitals and Cancer Centers in NJ. Comparison studies will be done against conventional costly cart-based clinical ultrasound systems to establish the reliability and robustness of the PONS POCUS system.