I-Corps Teams: Emagine Solutions Technology

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The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is that ultrasound is a life-saving technology. Fifty percent of the world does not have access to ultrasound, a lifesaving tool, and yet there are more cell phones than toilets in the world, and mobile devices are multiplying faster than people. This concept leverages this trend of going mobile with a key technology to improve health outcomes for patients around the world. This technology will be developed to reach the 50% of the world that still needs access to ultrasound imaging by increasing support and access to assistance with image interpretation. Clinicians in emerging economies are impeded by limited economic resources and lower levels of training that preclude the standard adoption of expensive traditional cart-based ultrasound imaging. While improving maternal health is a key United Nations health objective and hence the first area of focus for this project, the ultimate goal is to be the number one mobile ultrasound in the world for healthcare professionals serving trauma/emergency care, women's health and family medicine patients. This I-Corps project will focus on learning about pain points of using existing ultrasound technology and barriers to adoption. Medical students, OBGYN, family and emergency physicians will provide data and observations about their use of cart-based ultrasound. Interviewing end users and buyers of ultrasound technology will illuminate challenges with learning ultrasound, understanding diagnoses, and navigating software platforms. Knowing these challenges that potential customers have, the team will further develop and fine-tune the handheld ultrasound software platform they have created. The technology has an advanced user interface and display, the ability to gain insights about a patient?s medical images, and the ability to conduct real-time diagnoses. The technical results on which the project is based on feedback from probe manufacturers, ultrasound technology specialists, and clinicians of varying skill levels. In addition to interviewing users and experts, the team will also conduct in-depth observations of various types of ultrasound technology in use.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.