SBIR Phase II: Tele-Directed Artificially Intelligent Sonography Robot

Award ID: 2423628

The broader/commercial impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is to create a telerobotic system for the administration of sonographs, with an initial focus on echocardiograms. The wait times for echocardiograms can be upwards of 12 weeks with approximately 7 million performed annually in the U.S. This issue is compounded by a nationwide shortage of sonographers, disparities in the distribution of these professionals, and high burnout rates linked to workplace injuries from repetitive tasks. An echocardiogram is the first line of care for patients presenting with acute symptoms suggestive of some life threatening conditions. These include myocardial infarction, acute valvular regurgitation, stenosis, cardiac tamponade, congestive heart failure, cerebrovascular accident (stroke), endocarditis, pericarditis, life threatening arrhythmias, and myocarditis. 1. Increases the throughput per sonographer by enabling simultaneous supervision of data acquisition, 2.Reduces workplace injuries that shorten cardiac sonographers careers, and 3. Reduces the need for a collocated workforce of specialized skill sets and thereby increasing access to care. In the United States, heart disease is the leading cause of death killing one person every 33 seconds. The first step to help solve this problem is fast access to diagnostic imaging such as echocardiograms. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project building upon Phase I results that showed the capability of the robotic system to capture high-quality images from a single transthoracic echocardiogram (TTE) view using machine vision to identify proper probe deployment on the body and using robotic controls to safely move the probe without surpassing safe pressure thresholds nor losing contact with the skin. Phase II will build upon this robust foundation, aiming to validate and broaden the technology's capabilities to meet the exacting standards of our customers. The project will further develop the robot's imaging proficiency to cover the complete echocardiogram protocol including the parasternal long axis (PLAX), parasternal short axis (PSAX), apical views, subcostal view, and suprasternal notch view. The project will also improve usability across diverse patient demographics and validate its performance and usability in real-world clinical settings. Additionally, we plan to explore the technology's application to other ultrasound procedures performed on the abdomen, establishing the transformational and platform potential of the technology. The project aligns with the NSF's mission to propel health and welfare forward through technological breakthroughs, setting the stage for the U.S. to lead in the global arena of diagnostic imaging innovation. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

NSF Program Director: Ela Mirowski