Collaboration with National Imaging Academy Wales

RNS Number : 6215G

Intelligent Ultrasound Group PLC

25 July 2019

 

Intelligent Ultrasound Group plc

("Intelligent Ultrasound" or the "Group")

Collaboration with the National Imaging Academy Wales

Welsh collaboration to develop leading-edge AI-based ultrasound tools for Diagnostic Imaging

Intelligent Ultrasound Group plc (AIM: MED), the artificial intelligence (AI) based ultrasound software and simulation company, announces that it has entered into a collaboration with the National Imaging Academy Wales (NIAW) to develop artificial intelligence (AI) tools to aid ultrasound scanning and to enhance ultrasound education.

Both located in South Wales, NIAW and Intelligent Ultrasound share a common desire to improve ultrasound practice through education, innovation and research that will lead to improved clinical technique and as a result, improved patient care and outcomes.

Intelligent Ultrasound aims to make ultrasound easier for clinicians to use: for the clinic, it is developing real-time artificial intelligence-based clinical ultrasound image analysis software to improve scan quality and workflow; for the training room it manufactures advanced ultrasound training simulators to improve OBGYN, echocardiography and point of care sonography education. The company recently announced that it had signed its first long-term licencing and co-development agreement with one of the world's leading ultrasound equipment manufacturers to install its AI real-time image analysis software onto a range of specialty specific ultrasound systems marketed in the global healthcare market. Over 800 of Intelligent Ultrasound's ScanTrainer, HeartWorks and BodyWorks Eve ultrasound simulators have been sold around the world, including to NIAW and other UK Radiology Academies to increase training opportunities. 

National Imaging Academy Wales opened in August 2018, funded by Welsh Government and NHS Wales to help address significant challenges across the Diagnostic Imaging workforce, enabling increased training capacity for radiologists in the first instance. As part of NHS Wales, NIAW provides comprehensive speciality training across all radiology imaging modalities including ultrasound and is committed to training, collaboration, innovation and research. National Imaging Academy Wales is already a hub for diagnostic imaging in Wales and is progressing with developments to enhance radiology training and research.

This collaboration will combine Intelligent Ultrasound and NIAW's complementary skills both to develop clinically relevant AI tools for the clinic and to improve ultrasound education by evaluating real-world simulator performance.

Dr. Phillip Wardle, NIAW Director & Consultant Radiologist, said:

"Working closer together, we both aim to develop simulation training and advanced deep-learning AI in Ultrasound that will address the needs of current and future imaging workforce including Sonographers and Radiologists. By combining NIAW's clinical expertise with Intelligent Ultrasound's leading-edge in AI techniques and Simulation, we intend to help trainees in Ultrasound to become proficient more quickly."

Stuart Gall, CEO of Intelligent Ultrasound, said:

"We are delighted to be working with National Imaging Academy Wales. The opportunity to combine Intelligent Ultrasound's AI development and commercialisation skills with the Academy's clinical excellence is very exciting for us and will allow us to continue our development as one of the world's leading ultrasound AI companies. We believe this has the potential to benefit patients both in Wales and worldwide."

Enquiries:

Intelligent Ultrasound Group plc			www.intelligentultrasound.com
Stuart Gall, CEO  Wilson Jennings, CFO			Tel: [phone]
Walbrook PR	Tel: [phone] or [e-mail]
Anna Dunphy / Paul McManus		Mob: [phone] / Mob: [phone]

About Intelligent Ultrasound (www.intelligentultrasoundgroup.com)

Intelligent Ultrasound (AIM: MED), the intelligent ultrasound software and simulation company, develops artificial intelligence-based clinical image analysis software tools, augmented reality-based needle guidance software and advanced hi-fidelity haptic and manikin-based training simulators for medical practitioners.

 
Based in Cardiff and Oxford in the UK, Atlanta in the US and with representation in Beijing in Asia, the Group operates two divisions:

Intelligent Ultrasound Simulation Division

Focusses on hi-fidelity ultrasound education and training through simulation.  Its three main products are the ScanTrainer OBGYN training simulator, the HeartWorks echocardiography training simulator and the BodyWorks Eve Point of Care and Emergency Medicine training simulator.  To date over 800 simulators have been sold to over 470 medical institutions in over 30 countries around the world.

Intelligent Ultrasound Clinical AI Division

Focusses on developing deep learning-based algorithms to make ultrasound machines smarter and more accessible. Products in development include ScanNav which uses machine-learning based algorithms to automatically identify and grade ultrasound images to provide scan assessment and audit of protocol-based ultrasound scanning; and ScanNav AnatomyGuide, which aims to simplify ultrasound-guided needling by providing the user with real-time AI-based needle guidance software for a range of medical procedures.

Some products in the pipeline may require US FDA or other regulatory approval, as such this material should be considered informational only and does not constitute an offer to sell or infer claims or benefits.

 

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