The use of artificial intelligence (AI) in echocardiography is sure to be one of the biggest topics at the upcoming American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) meeting, both among exhibitors and in scientific sessions.
ASE's annual Scientific Sessions meeting is scheduled for June 23-26, 2023, at the Gaylord National Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. More than 50 companies will display their latest products and services for cardiac ultrasound at ASE 2023.
Artificial intelligence vendors at ASE
• Core Sound Imaging (Booth 515), creators of the Studycast system, will be introducing the Studycast Integration Program at ASE. This enables medical facilities to easily send images to AI vendors for analysis and then receive and incorporate the resulting data directly into the Studycast system. Core Sound will be demonstrating integrations live with participating AI vendors at the event, highlighting the interface’s ease of use and its ability to leverage powerful AI tools without the complexities of manual setup.
• EchoNous (Booth 703) will be present with its AI-assisted point of care ultrasound (POCUS) system. The Kosmos hand-carried ultrasound offers tissue Doppler imaging, continuous wave and pulsed wave Doppler. The AI automates grading, guiding and labeling to help better guide users and aid image reproducibility. The AI also automates ejection fraction, stroke volume, cardiac output, and heart rate calculations.
• Nuance Communications (Booth 734) will show its Nuance Precision Imaging Network (PIN), powered by Microsoft Azure, which enables seamless hosting, integration and management of partner AI services through a single data-driven platform. PIN delivers AI insights to care teams to enable improved disease visualization while facilitating more informed evidence-based and personalized care decisions. Nuance is a Microsoft company.
• Philips Healthcare (Booth 103) will show its Ultrasound Compact 5500CV system, designed to offer excellent image quality and echocardiography workflows in a cart-based system. It includes AI-based automation tools, auto strain to deliver fast, reproducible 2D strain quantification for the left ventricle and Ultrasound Collaboration Live. The Philips Compact Ultrasound 5000 series was made to fit the needs of many specialties, including general imaging, cardiology, obstetrics and gynecology and point of care.
• ScImage (Booth 337) offers AI solutions integrated into its enterprise imaging system. It offers features like cardiology structured reporting, report discrepancy notifications, alerts for current and past reports, clinician-oriented result recaps and patient-friendly layman reports. PICOM365 harnesses AI for improved outcomes and efficiency with AI-assisted echo workflow. This includes integrating AI echo strain software to streamline sonographer workflow, provide valuable cardiac disease insights and increase reimbursement.
• Siemens Healthineers (Booth 302) will be showcasing the latest intracardiac echo (ICE) catheter technologies and its complete portfolio of cardiovascular ultrasound systems. Attendees will be able to experience hands-on 2D/4D ICE simulators and have an opportunity to view the newest Acuson Redwood and Acuson Juniper CV Editions. Both offer a comprehensive suite of advanced applications with integrated AI to help meet the daily demands of users.
• Ultromics (Booth 505) will be showcasing its new AI platform EchoGo Heart Failure. The novel technology, which was recently granted breakthrough device designation and clearance by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, is the first non-invasive diagnostic support tool for HFpEF. It can discriminate patients with HFpEF from those without based on a single, routinely acquired transthoracic echocardiographic view.
Enterprise imaging and cardiology PACS systems
• Agfa HealthCare (Booth 727) will present its enterprise imaging solution that is tailored for cardiology and provides support for the entire cardiology department across all specialties. With its comprehensive web workflows, cardiologists can access their images and reports anytime and anywhere.
• Sectra (Booth 615) will show its enterprise imaging capabilities, including cardiology-specific applications and its integration with AI.
• FujiFilm (Both 312) will demonstrate its enterprise imaging and cardiovascular information systems.
• HeartLab (Booth 341) will also demonstrate its cardiology PACS product, which has a focus on echocardiography.
• Freeland Systems (Booth 616) offers cloud-based enterprise imaging exam sharing, deep EHR and device interoperability and intelligent AI-guided reporting designed to help physicians quickly and accurately document imaging studies with increased clinical confidence.
Radiation protection in tha cath lab
• Egg Medical's (Booth 214) EggNest Radiation Protection System delivers scatter radiation protection for healthcare staff in cath labs . The vendor said it reduces radiation exposure for echocardiographers by 97%, while protecting other personnel in the room by at least 91%. EggNest can be used in the cath lab without disrupting workflow, C-arm movement or patient access.
Strain echo and image analysis solutions
• Epsilon Imaging (Booth 335) will be showcasing EchoInsight Zero Footprint (ZF) Advanced Echo Analysis, an integrated, vendor-neutral, off-line platform that enables clinicians to easily incorporate the benefits of strain imaging into routine clinical practice. EchoInsight ZF offers can accommodate a variety of customer needs: LV and RV analysis, full heart analysis, and/or clinical research analysis capabilities. Applications are based on ASE guidelines and recommendations, and scale to meet customer workflow needs.
• Pie Medical Imaging (PMI) (Booth 717) is showcasing its analysis software for key clinical measurements, including myocardial strain, stress echo, diastology and valve analysis. It can be accessed on any PC within the hospital network by using the web-browser. Also, PMI presents their CT/3D TEE-based pre-procedural transcatheter planning solutions within the 3mensio Structural Heart platform.
• Medis (Booth 713) will highlight its Suite Ultrasound, a new vendor-independent solution for advanced deformation analysis for cardiac ultrasound. The solution includes echo strain together with MR strain and CT strain as part of a multimodality approach for advanced cardiac deformation imaging. It also allows quantitative evaluation of the left ventricle, right ventricle and the left atrium OEM solution.
Wireless ultrasound transduce interfaces with smartphones
• Vave Health (booth 604) will show its wireless ultrasound transducer that interfaces with a smartphone app to perform POCUS exams. The vendor uses an annual subscription serve model.
Amyloidosis diagnostics and treatment, a rising trend cardiology
• Pfizer (Booth 322) will explain the important role echo plays in the diagnosis of transthyretin cardiac amyloidosis (ATTR-CM), a serious, underdiagnosed cause of heart failure. Early recognition of clinical clues is crucial in starting patients on the appropriate continuum of care. ATTR-CM was not considered treatable years ago, but with treatments now available, wider efforts are being made to identify and treat these patients.
Peripheral solutions for TEE
• Visura Technologies (Both 513) is displaying the world's first FDA-cleared, disposable camera that seamlessly connects to a transesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) probe, providing physicians real-time visualization for more efficient and effective probe placement to support first-pass intubation success.
• CS Medical (Booth 612) will show its reprocessing system for TEE ultrasound probes.
Echocardiography simulator
• Surgical Science (Booth 613) offers high-fidelity medical simulators used by medical training centers and institutes worldwide for practice, validation and certification. The Ultrasound Mentor and TEE Express simulators help sonographers become familiar with probe manipulation and to learn standard views in a short time, using step-by-step, self-instructed echocardiography simulation.
Ergonomic cardiac ultrasound scanning solutions
• Biodex (Booth 614), a part of Mirion Medical, will feature the feature-rich Sound Pro Ultrasound Table, fully equipped for OB/GYN, general ultrasound and echocardiography procedures. The vendor is also displaying an adjustable headrest table accessory for patient comfort and convenient access for thyroid and carotid studies, and the Sonography Chair, an ergonomic, adjustable chair that supports comfortable posture to avoid sonographer injury.
• CardiaLine (Booth 712) offers ergonomic imaging beds for stress echocardiography, echo and vascular studies. The echo and vascular tables are designed for easy entry and exit, and they help the patient remain comfortable for all positions during scanning. The stress echo beds allow for better cardiac images during peak stress to evaluate for valvular heart disease, diastolic dysfunction, pulmonary hypertension and others.
• Cardon (Booth 709) is featuring two treatment tables that adjust to optimize ergonomic positioning for the sonographer, while maintaining patient comfort.
Organizations and publishers displaying at ASE 2023
• American Heart Association (AHA) Target: Aortic Stenosis (Booth 716) is a new program started by AHA last fall to promote more aggressive screenings for patients with aortic stenosis (AS). With the introduction of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) over the past decade, there has been a much larger population of AS patients coming forward for consultations and treatment than was previously believed to exist. AHA wants cardiac imagers to be more aware of AS when evaluating patients. Read more.
• ASE (Booth 423) will feature several new products, including an updated Guideline Reference Spiral, binder inserts, flip chart posters and wall posters. The two new guidelines included in these products are Multimodality Cardiovascular Imaging in Patients with Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) (2022) and Echocardiographic Evaluation of Rheumatic Heart Disease. There is also a new reference spiral based on the Transesophageal Echocardiography in the Operating Room guideline. This includes pre- and post-procedural information for practitioners. This year, there also will be a kiosk in the ASE booth highlighting new educational resources developed by ASE volunteers for microlessons in HCM.
• The ASE Foundation (ASEF) booth located in the Maryland Lobby on the ballroom level, is the central hub for all the Foundation’s charitable activities and initiatives. Attendees are encouraged to join a Cardiovascular Challenge sponsored by Agfa Healthcare, Bracco Diagnostics, Bristol Myers Squibb, Intersocietal Accreditation Commission (IAC), Mayo Clinic, Siemens Healthineers and UltraSight, to promote moving and cardiovascular health. There is also a special showcase of photographs called Images from the Heart. The foundation has awarded scholarships and travel grants for this year’s scientific sessions to 68 early career practitioners, totaling over $80,000 in support.
• ImageGuideEcho Registry (Booth 513) The ImageGuideEcho Registry is an echocardiography data repository for quality improvement owned and operated by ASE. The ImageGuideEcho Registry provides automatically generated QI feedback and analytics for the benefit of stakeholders, including patients, physicians, and researchers. The Registry focuses on driving technology applications and assessing specific quality metrics and patient outcomes across medical centers within the field of echocardiography. There will be five information sessions in the registry booth this year on the growth of the registry, improving quality of care, the pediatric echo module, the perioperative echo module, and ASE and IAC alignment in quality.
• International Accreditation Commission (IAC) (Booth 628) IAC Echocardiography announced two new accreditations. The IAC Standards and Guidelines for Perioperative Transesophageal Echocardiography provides guidance in training and experience, protocol development and resources. Recognizing the critical role of facilities providing care to patients with congenital heart disease who transition their care from pediatric cardiology to adult cardiology services, Adult Congenital Transthoracic Echocardiography is a new accreditation testing area.
• Mayo Clinic Cardiovascular Medicine (Booth 623) offers a series of echocardiography CME courses, convenient board exam prep and a mobile app to access content.
• Wolters Kluwer (Booth 212) offers a variety of clinical textbooks, including Alfred Abuhamad’s, A Practical Guide to Fetal Echocardiography: Normal and Abnormal Hearts, 4th Edition, and Savage & Aronson’s Comprehensive Textbook of Perioperative and Critical Care Echocardiography, 3rd Edition, as well as an acclaimed journal, CONTINUUM - Headache issue.
Dave Fornell has covered healthcare for more than 17 years, with a focus in cardiology and radiology. Fornell is a 5-time winner of a Jesse H. Neal Award, the most prestigious editorial honors in the field of specialized journalism. The wins included best technical content, best use of social media and best COVID-19 coverage. Fornell was also a three-time Neal finalist for best range of work by a single author. He produces more than 100 editorial videos each year, most of them interviews with key opinion leaders in medicine. He also writes technical articles, covers key trends, conducts video hospital site visits, and is very involved with social media. E-mail: dfornell@innovatehealthcare.com