Vascular ultrasound developer Piur Imaging presented its first working prototype of a sensor-based tomographic ultrasound system at the Charing Cross Symposium in London.
The wireless sensor can be clipped onto any ultrasound transducer to produce tomographic images without the need for an external position-tracking device and, in the future, provide ultrasound guidance during clinical interventions.
Image-processing algorithms allow accurate compounding of volumes, even if images are acquired with nonlinear scans or nonconstant velocity. Complete arms and legs can be imaged and analyzed with the Piur technology in seconds, and the technique costs less than a CT or MR scan, according to the vendor.
Piur partnered with ImFusion, ACMIT, and the Otto-von-Guericke University in Magdeburg, Germany, as part of a Horizon 2020 project that was sponsored by the European Commission. Several studies evaluating its accuracy and benefits during clinical use are currently ongoing at European hospitals under the lead of the University of Manchester and Independent Vascular Systems.
While the prototype of the patented sensor can already produce tomographic ultrasound images, the company still needs to finalize the hardware design and regulatory requirements. The product should become market-ready and certified in 2019, Piur said.
