Vivid Ultra Edition, AI-Powered Cardiovascular Ultrasound System is intended to reduce diagnostic exam time and boost measurement consistency
Methodical evaluations of heart function are necessary in echocardiography. (Credit: Patrick J. Lynch, medical illustrator)
GE Healthcare has received 510k clearance from US FDA for its Ultra Edition package on Vivid cardiovascular ultrasound systems, which come with features based on artificial intelligence (AI) that allows clinicians to get quicker and more exams repeatedly.
Although methodical evaluations of heart function are necessary in echocardiography, such evaluations can be time-consuming and difficult to get.
Quality acquisition of data and operator skill are essential factors to get precise and thorough exams.
Given that patients undergo subsequent monitoring exams, the reproducibility of the exam evaluations is essential to monitoring improvement or progress of the disease.
Vivid Ultra Edition is claimed to offer increased efficiencies to the scanning process for reduced exam time through up to 80% fewer clicks. Furthermore, it is claimed to offer 99% accuracy and has less inter-operator variability.
Vivid Ultra Edition leverages AI-driven, neural network-based algorithms
Vivid Ultra Edition taps AI-driven, neural network-based algorithms to offer repeatable and faster measurements in 2D echo imaging.
Its AI Auto Measure – Spectrum Recognition feature can semi-automatically identify the appropriate measurement of spectral Doppler images. This feature allows the system to advance the path from scanning to measurements with 98% accuracy and 100% reproducibility.
This edition’s AI Auto Measure – 2D can identify the correct points in the image used to derive important measurements of the left ventricle, performing comparable to human users with 100% reproducibility.
Its AI-based View Recognition can detect with 99% accuracy and 100% reproducibility.
Furthermore, its AFI package is intended to use these data to automatically choose views for strain analysis, streamline workflow and increase efficiency.
GE Healthcare Cardiovascular Ultrasound general manager Dagfinn Saetre said: “With the Vivid Ultra Edition, we offer AI capabilities that help address healthcare providers’ two key challenges in echo exams – how time consuming the exam is and the degree of variability that exists in the quantitative results.
“This package supports our vision of where we need to go with cardiovascular ultrasound: tools to support less variability and improved productivity. The Vivid Ultra Edition is a solid step in our strategic roadmap.”
Vivid Ultra Edition’s HD Color shows anatomy and jet using shadowing, reflections and transparency to improve the 3D perception. Its FlexiLight provides photorealistic images to aid in improving visualisation of moving structures and depth perception of tissues.
Furthermore, the edition’s 4D TTE Pediatric probe (6VDc) offers 2D and 4D imaging for a range of pediatric patients, right from neonates to teenagers.
Recently, GE Healthcare has launched its new ultrasound system Voluson SWIFT, to help the women’s health professionals expand their diagnostic capabilities.