On-Sight, a joint venture of the Weizmann Institute of Science and the New York University (NYU) School of Medicine, has developed an automated ultrasound imaging system that may bridge the gap between equipment availability and the shortage of technicians and radiologists. Recently, the project won first place in Echovation - the innovation competition of the American Society of Echocardiography
Ultrasound equipment is currently available in almost every medical facility in the world, from emergency rooms to local clinics, mainly because it does not take up much space and due to its low cost, certainly compared to other medical imaging methods, such as CT or MRI. However, despite its availability, the use of the equipment requires lengthy training and a high level of expertise, and many times patients wait too long for an ultrasound examination or are not examined at all, due to a lack of skilled operators and coders. On-Sight, a joint venture of the Weizmann Institute of Science and the New York University (NYU) School of Medicine, has developed an automated ultrasound imaging system that may bridge the gap between equipment availability and the shortage of technicians and radiologists. Recently, the project won first place in Echovation - the innovation competition of the American Society of Echocardiography, which was held for the third time in Nashville, Tennessee. The project beat out 30 contestants thanks to the revolution it heralds in the field of emergency medicine, and the possibility that unskilled doctors, even specialists, will be able to use ultrasound equipment, and receive real-time interpretation of the tests and recommendations for further treatment.
The project focuses on the first stage in the field of medical imaging of the heart, which has a meaning of life and death for patients. The most reliable measure of heart function is the "Ejection Fraction", which measures the volume of blood injected from the left ventricle of the heart. The "ejection segment" is measured using ultrasound imaging, and doctors use it to diagnose heart failure, and even its severity. As part of proving the feasibility of the system, four expert doctors "competed" in the On-Sight algorithm, and analyzed the echocardiogram results of 114 people. The results were amazing: the algorithm was closer than any of the expert doctors to the median value of the ejection segment.
A medical specialist needs extensive training and practice to successfully interpret ultrasound images. How do you teach a computer to do this automatically? The project's technology is based on artificial intelligence, machine learning, and algorithms for geometric processing developed in the group of Prof. Yaron Lipman from the department of computer science and applied mathematics at the institute. Also partners in this venture are cardiologist Prof. Achi Ludomirsky from the New York University School of Medicine, Itai Kazorer, who is expected to serve as On-Sight's Chief Technology Officer and a graduate of Prof. Lippman's laboratory, and Dr. Yoram Eshel, CEO of the company founded on the venture.
In the last decade, the use of ultrasound tests as an auxiliary tool for diagnosis and treatment in emergency rooms and emergency medicine clinics has been expanded. Because of this, the company's first product is focused in the field of cardiology, which has a decisive meaning regarding patients who come to these places. The field of emergency medicine is estimated at hundreds of billions of dollars a year. To illustrate, in the United States alone there are currently more than 5,000 emergency rooms, 7,500 emergency medical centers, and 40,000 ambulances. Apart from the field of emergency medicine, this product is also suitable, among other things, for family doctors' clinics, nursing homes, and sports clinics.
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