SBIR/STTR Award attributes
The expansion of point-of-care ultrasound is increasing for Musculoskeletal (MSK) diagnosis and treatment applications. Between 2000 and 2009, the increase in MSK ultrasound examination volume varied by practice, expanding mostly in private offices (+717%) followed by hospital outpatient facilities (+102%). The advent of compact, portable, and more affordable ultrasound machines has democratized MSK ultrasound use beyond the traditional confines of traditional imaging departments. As a result, the use of MSK ultrasound as a diagnostic and intervention-guiding technique has gained acceptance in both civilian and military medical fields of rheumatology, orthopedic surgery, physiatry, podiatry, dermatology, and plastic surgery. The perspective of non-radiologists performing MSK ultrasound enhances the ability to provide more effective and efficient patient care. Furthermore, it increases the technical accuracy of interventional procedures and may decrease the use of MRI examinations. However, these first-generation portable, single or even double transducer ultrasound devices, are typically limited in their imaging depth capabilities, preventing their usefulness in non-traditional or remote environments. Under contract with the U.S. Army, Sonivate Medical completed the development of a lightweight and highly portable ultrasound system for field use. The Generation I SonicEye® Dual-Array Ultrasound System (DA-US) unique design combines high (7.5 MHZ) and low (3.0 MHZ) frequency transducer arrays into a single, finger-worn, ergonomically designed, intuitive probe. The single probe allows for imaging at two different depth and is easier to manipulate than traditional probes for image acquisition. The dual-array probe is permanently connected to its Image Processor by an extended, flex-circuit cable. This design eliminates the need to carry two different probes with differing frequency and scanning profile transducers but this first generation need additional modifications to make the system more useful for combat operations, such as adding a high-frequency probe (12-18 MHZ) for more advanced musculoskeletal (MSK) applications, as well as replace probes in the forward environment and develop alternative means of system mounting to accommodate a variety use environments. The next generation DA-US solution is perfect for emergency medicine clinicians, especially those operating in challenging and austere environments; as well as providing a very high frequency linear array (i.e., > 12 MHZ for orthopedic physicians conducting MSK clinical evaluations and procedures in orthopedics surgery).
