EchoNous’ artificial-intelligence-powered system already majorly cuts down on the amount of specialized equipment traditionally required to perform heart, lung and abdominal ultrasounds. It swaps the usual bulky, cart-based machines for a simple hand-held device and connected tablet.
A new partnership with Samsung aims to simplify the EchoNous system’s profile even further—and send its costs down in the process.
Through the partnership, which the duo announced Thursday, healthcare providers will be able to use the Kosmos hand-held ultrasound system with Samsung’s Galaxy Tab Active Pro tablets, rather than being confined to EchoNous’ own Kosmos Bridge display.
Like Kosmos’ offering, the Galaxy Tab Active devices are designed for intensive workplace use. They feature a long-lasting battery and resistance not only to water, dust, dirt and sand, but also to vibrations, drops and falls.
The Pro models start at $600. According to EchoNous, making the Samsung tablets compatible with its Kosmos system will therefore drive down the costs of the system—“which already costs tens of thousands of dollars less than the cart-based models,” the company said in its announcement. It previously said the entire system would be priced below $10,000; standard ultrasound carts typically start around $20,000 and can reach upward of $200,000.
“Even for the largest medical providers in the world, every dollar saved is one that can be spent saving another life, and this alliance with Samsung makes it possible for our platform to run on a more economical, off-the-shelf tablet,” said CEO Kevin Goodwin. “Doctors can now use a tablet that they may already be familiar with, and it will still run our platform flawlessly because of its inherent power.”
EchoNous’ Kosmos system pairs a hand-held ultrasound wand with the company’s AI-powered software, which is downloaded to either the Kosmos Bridge or Samsung tablet. Its deep learning algorithms help ultrasound operators collect the best possible images, label them in real time and automatically calculate measurements like ejection fraction, stroke volume and cardiac output.
The Washington-based company has already nabbed FDA clearance for three iterations of its probe. The original Torso device can perform ultrasound scans of the chest and abdomen, collect electrocardiograms of the heart and act as a digital stethoscope, thanks to its visual auscultation technology. The slimmed-down Torso-One probe, meanwhile, offers a smaller physical footprint and only ultrasound capabilities.
The most recent addition to EchoNous’ slate is the Lexsa probe, which nabbed FDA clearance a year ago. It expands the reach of the Kosmos system, allowing for ultrasound scanning of the lungs, vasculature and nervous and musculoskeletal systems.