Intelligent Ultrasound (IUG) , an ultrasound AI software and simulation company, announced that its NeedleTrainer and ScanNav Anatomy Peripheral Nerve Block (PNB) have been adopted by NHS Education for Scotland for its anaesthesia training programme.
NES joins its counterpart body in Wales (Health Education and Improvement Wales), which invested in Intelligent Ultrasound platforms in 2022 to help meet curriculum changes and provide safer and more effective learning techniques in ultrasound-guided interventional procedures.
Intelligent Ultrasound's NeedleTrainer uses a retractable needle and virtual image overlays to simulate needling non-invasively on a live participant, using an authentic live ultrasound scan. This enables trainees to develop hand-eye coordination, optimum positioning and accuracy in ultrasound-guided interventional procedures in a realistic clinical environment.
ScanNav Anatomy PNB compliments NeedleTrainer as it produces a colour overlay on real-time ultrasound to support scanning for UGRA (ultrasound guided regional anaesthesia). A recent study published in the British Journal of Anaesthesia showed that availability of ScanNav Anatomy PNB was associated with an increase in the number of blocks performed by anesthesiologists, without a decrease in quality of care.
Stuart Gall, CEO of Intelligent Ultrasound commented: "Ultrasound-guided needle insertion is now a key competency requirement for multiple specialties. This investment moves us closer to our vision of transforming medical training, ensuring safer practices, and ultimately enhancing patient care. Together, we are bridging the gap from classroom to clinic with innovative solutions that empower medical professionals across Scotland and beyond."
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NHS Education for Scotland joins the list of Intelligent Ultrasound customers looking for safer and more effective anaesthetist training. IUG's AI imaging portfolio, including ScanNav and NeedleTrainer, offer significant benefits over traditional training methods, and are supported by an exclusive partnership with GE Healthcare. The segment is key to IUG's long-term growth strategy that has so far proved successful. We expect to see IUG's AI-related products continue to gain momentum in 2024, helped by the company's "Classroom to Clinic" programme.
"Classroom to Clinic" is designed to meet the 2 key challenges of ultrasound guided regional anaesthesia - capturing and interpreting ultrasound images and inserting the needle to deposit local anaesthetic at a target site. The risks of poorly performed UGRA and ultrasound-guided needle insertion are well documented, hence the strong interest in Intelligent Ultrasound's portfolio.
NeedleTrainer is a first of its kind simulator that uses a retractable needle and virtual image overlays to simulate needling on a live volunteer while running a live ultrasound scan. The most recent version is the NeedleTrainer Plus that adds the PNB trainer with IUG's proprietary ScanNav AI technology, now available as a portable package bundled with a GE HealthCare Vscan handheld ultrasound device. Making NeedleTrainer portable greatly enhances its range of applications and scalability, additionally opening up possibilities for commercialisation of ultrasound AI technology beyond the medical sector.
Ultrasound-guided peripheral nerve block injections are increasingly used for pain relief after surgery and trauma. As mentioned, data published in the British Journal of Anaesthesia in September showed that when ScanNav Anatomy PNB was available, there was a 40.4% relative increase in the number of peripheral nerve blocks used in trauma cases.
IUG is set to benefit from the rapid growth of the medical imaging AI market, projected to grow at a CAGR of 34.7% until 2029. Strong sales momentum bolstered by the company's partnership with GE Healthcare should propel IUG to profitability by end of FY24.
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