GE Healthcare, a global leader in medical technology, has received a grant of more than $44 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to develop AI-assisted ultrasound tools for maternal and pediatric care. Ultrasound is a critical tool for screening and diagnosing various medical conditions, including the health of expectant mothers and respiratory diseases.
The grant will facilitate the creation of user-friendly AI-assisted applications and tools that will enable healthcare professionals, even those without specialized training or experience with ultrasound, to perform quick and accurate ultrasound scans. These tools will provide clinical decision information to support more effective obstetric and lung screening ultrasound scans across maternal and fetal care as well as pediatric lung health.
Caption Health, a leader in medical AI that was acquired by GE Healthcare in February 2023, will design the technology to run on a range of ultrasound devices and probes, including lower-cost handheld devices. The goal is to expand access to high-quality care, particularly in low-and-middle income countries (LMIC).
Maternal and child mortality is a critical healthcare issue worldwide, with almost 800 women dying every day from preventable causes linked to pregnancy and childbirth. Approximately 95 percent of all maternal deaths occur in LMIC. Ultrasound technologies are used in maternal care to determine fetal health markers and conditions such as gestational age, fetal presentation, multiple gestation, fetal viability, umbilical blood flow, and ectopic pregnancy.
For children under the age of five, pneumonia is the leading cause of death globally. Early diagnosis is vital to effective treatment and preventing complications. Point-of-care lung ultrasound can provide physicians with a view of the entire lung and can diagnose pneumonia with greater accuracy compared to a bedside chest X-ray.
Caption Health’s AI applications are designed to guide healthcare professionals step-by-step during an ultrasound exam, helping them capture and interpret high-quality ultrasound images. The grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation will support the development of multiple lung ultrasound and obstetric algorithms through clinical validation and regulatory submissions.
Currently, Caption Health offers Cardiac Guidance software, which is FDA cleared. With the support of the grant, Caption Health will expand the development of their existing lung ultrasound project and broaden the reach of this powerful technology to provide care to mothers and children.
This grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is a significant step in making ultrasound more accessible in low-and-middle income countries. By leveraging AI technology, GE Healthcare and Caption Health aim to empower healthcare professionals with less experience to perform ultrasound scans effectively, ultimately increasing access to higher-quality medical care worldwide.
