Ultrasound News Round Up – June 2024

Cranfield, UK, 11th July 2024, Written by Mustafa Hassan, PhD and Aiyana Amess – 

Apologies for the delayed release of the June ultrasound news round up. Whilst England was preparing for football to come home, at Signify Research, we were busy preparing our Ultrasound Equipment 2024 Report which, published at the beginning of July.

June was another month of new product introductions, both hardware and software.

Product Launches

• Siemens Healthineers has launched its new cardiology AI technology for the Acuson Sequoia system. The new technology includes auto-measure for routine echocardiography exams and ‘2D HeartAI’ which aids clinicians in improving exam efficiency and workflow during cardiac strain imaging. 2D HeartAI measures deformation in the myocardium and streamlines the diagnostic capabilities of ejection fraction evaluation. Alongside the AI technology, Siemens Healthineers has released the new Z6T 4D TEE transducer that facilitates biplane imaging. The transducer allows clinicians to view multiples scan planes simultaneously. The new releases demonstrate Siemens Healthineers recent efforts to regain previously lost market share within the ultrasound market, by prioritising innovation and offering premium features.
• Philips has debuted two new AI applications for cardiovascular ultrasound. One of the applications is automated for segmental wall motion scoring of the heart. This enables the identification of coronary artery disease. The second application is AI-based software that automates 3D quantification of mitral regurgitation volumes for patients with heart valve disease. The new applications will support clinicians to complete exams faster and more efficiently to help ease pressure on cardiologists as demand for scans increases.
• Supply to the cardiology ultrasound market is far more consolidated than other ultrasound clinical applications, with Philips and GE HealthCare holding the majority of market share. However, there were new market entrants in 2023 that could change this moving forward. Siemens Healthineers introduced its new cardiology system, the Acuson Origin, In August 2023. The product utilises the strength of its 4D ICE technology. It also has AI solutions to perform measurements with one click, which will be keenly welcomed by customers looking to optimize their workflows. We expect this new product to drive more growth for Siemens Healthineers in 2024. Mindray also introduced its new premium cardiology system, the Recho R9, in its domestic China market at the end of 2023. This should drive significant market share gain for Mindray in 2024, especially once the product is also released in the USA and Europe. The new AI applications from Philips will help secure its position as market leader in what looks to be a more competitive cardiology ultrasound market.
• Esaote unveiled the new MyLabE80 ultrasound device at the SIRM Congress in Milan. The system is designed for use in complex clinical cases where there is a specific need for diagnostic certainty to devise an effective clinical treatment plan. The system includes AI and fusion imaging technology for the assessment of liver disease and breast lesions. MyLab E80 completes the renewal of the Esaote’s portfolio following the release of the MyLab X90 in 2023 and the MyLab A70 and MyLab A50 in 2024. With the launch of the MyLab X90 driving growth for Esaote in 2023, 2024 looks to be another good year for the company following the 3 new systems releases.

Partnerships

Cardiac AI company Ultrasight has partnered with the Mayo Clinic to enhance cardiac care with POCUS AI. Through the partnership the companies will jointly develop AI software for the interpretation and analysis of cardiac ultrasound. The software will be an end-to-end solution with decision support to help clinicians make informed decisions and ease the pressure on cardiologists. In recent months we have seen this software development strategy adopted by multiple AI companies including iCardio.ai partnering with UltraLinQ. With available funding for AI companies diminishing, it is likely we will see more of these developmental partnerships being announced to bundle funding resources.

June also saw UltraSight announce that is joining Butterfly Networks ‘Butterly Garden.’ This expands the market reach for UltraSight and is another regulatory cleared cardiac AI solution on the Butterfly Garden. This might create internal competition between UltraSight and DESKi, another member of the Butterfly Garden with a cardiac image guidance AI solution. It also shows Butterfly’s intent to have cardiac AI solutions to enable patients to be triaged at the point of care, a growing market trend. However, if the handheld device provides an ambiguous finding, then it could still lead to an unnecessary cardiology scan being performed.

Regulatory Clearances

Clarius has received Health Canada approval for its OB AI foetal biometric measurement tool. The application offers access to prenatal monitoring to areas with limited imaging resources. The tool automatically measures foetal biometry aiding the estimation of foetal age, weight and growth intervals. There is currently a big focus in women’s health to develop AI solutions to better assist with obstetric imaging in low and middle-income areas. This is mainly through the use of ultraportable and lower cost handheld ultrasound devices. This latest introduction enables Clarius to now compete in this growing market.

Other

In other news GE HealthCare announced changes to its leadership team and business structure. Roland Rott, formerly head of GE HealthCare’s business will now be president and CEO of Imaging. Phil Rackliffe be president and CEO of Ultrasound and IGT, which will be combined in 2024 Q3.

GE HealthCare is aligning IGT with Ultrasound to better match its clinical usage and to provide the right image guidance in the right care setting. The company will look to combine its ultrasound and IGT business to make it more flexible to address the future imaging needs in both inpatient and outpatient settings.

This move will look to better enable GE HealthCare’s ability to compete in multi-modality deals which is becoming increasingly common in the imaging market. The move could also be a way to apply some of GE HealthCare’s progressive and forward thinking moves in ultrasound to its IGT business. Click here to read our latest SPI on this story.

Are there any stories you believe we have missed? If so, please let us know. We welcome further conversations on the trends specifically impacting the markets highlighted.

Signify Research covers the market dynamics impacting the ultrasound market in its annual Ultrasound Service. The 2024 service will include:

• Ultrasound Equipment 2024
• Ultrasound Transducers and Catheters
• Ultrasound AI
• Ultrasound Equipment 6 – month update

If you are interested in learning more about our Ultrasound service, please reach out.

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About The Authors

Mustafa Hassan – Mustafa joined Signify Research in 2020 as part of the Medical Imaging team which covers areas such as ultrasound, general radiography and machine learning in medical imaging. Prior to that he obtained a PhD in Pharmacy and Physiology from the University of Kent and has three years of post-doctoral experience working on optimising healthcare for genetic Cardiac diseases.

Aiyana Amess – Aiyana joined Signify Research in 2023 as part of the Medical Imaging team. She graduated from Loughborough University with a BSC in Medicinal and Pharmaceutical Chemistry, receiving a diploma in industrial studies after completing an internship at Roche.

About the Medical Imaging Team

Signify Research’s Medical Imaging team formulates expert market intelligence for some of the leading Ultrasound, CT, MRI, and X-ray vendors. Combining primary data collection and in-depth discussions with industry stakeholders, our thorough research approach yields credible quantitative and qualitative analysis, helping our customers make critical business decisions with confidence. Furthermore, our commitment to seeking a plurality of perspectives across the markets we cover guarantees that our insights remain independent and balanced.

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