SBIR Phase II: Guided Positioning System for Ultrasound

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will be in the field of healthcare. The United States spends approximately $9,000 per person per year on healthcare. Ultrasound medical imaging is a medical imaging technology that could lower costs by providing an alternative to higher-cost imaging techniques. The technology created during this Phase II project is expected to increase the quality, value, and accessibility of medical ultrasound, which would in turn reduce medical imaging costs in the US healthcare system. Furthermore, the company's technology is expected to bring ultrasound to more clinical settings and improve system-wide efficiencies in the diagnosis and treatment of disease. The technology also has commercial potential in the international market, with $5.8B spent annually on medical ultrasound devices worldwide. Finally, by improving the utility of ultrasound, the technology will lead to improved patient care and may ultimately save lives. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will develop deep learning technology for ultrasound imaging in medicine. Ultrasound imaging has numerous benefits including real-time image acquisition, non-invasive scanning, low-cost devices, and no known side-effects (it is non-ionizing). However, variability in quality has encumbered its adoption and utility. As a result, more expensive imaging is typically utilized, often exposing patients to ionizing radiation. Our objective is to develop, improve, and test machine learning techniques, based on deep learning, to improve ultrasound acquisition and interpretation. We expect this project will create novel technologies that make ultrasound easier to use and improve the quality of ultrasound examinations. The end result will improve the quality, value, and accessibility of medical ultrasound examinations, will result in cost savings to the healthcare system, will produce improvements in patient care, and will support a sustainable business opportunity.