AI-ultrasound company ThinkSono and NYU Langone Health team up for DVT study
NYU will serve as the first U.S. trial site for ThinkSono Guidance
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a condition in which blood clots develop in veins, which can lead to potentially fatal problems such as pulmonary embolism, where the blood clots spread to the heart and lungs, or debilitating long-term swelling and pain of the legs, called post-thrombotic syndrome. Up to 300,000 Americans are affected by DVT every year, and it costs the U.S. healthcare system up to $10 billion annually.
The best way to detect DVT is through ultrasound, and ThinkSono, a London-based company, has developed an ultrasound that uses artificial intelligence to make the process even more accurate by giving professional interactive, step-by-step training so even non-specialists can quickly learn and practice ultrasound examinations.
Now the company is looking to make its way to the US via a newly announced partnership with NYU Langone Health, which will serve as a trial site to launch the first U.S. based clinical trial of ThinkSono Guidance, which enables more rapid and portable diagnosis of DVT.
Founded in 2016, ThinkSono has developed the world’s first real-time Ultrasound AI software to enable non-ultrasound healthcare staff to perform DVT scans. This technology addresses the worldwide unmet medical need for better DVT detection.
ThinkSono Guidance enables any healthcare professional to perform DVT scans at the point of care, using AI to guide the user through a compression ultrasound examination. A ThinkSono Guidance exam takes as little as 15 minutes using only a handheld device and a mobile phone.
NYU Langone Health, meanwhile, is one of the largest healthcare systems in the Northeast, with more than 46,000 employees. It is ranked #3 in the U.S. and #1 in New York State on U.S. News & World Report’s 2022–23 “Best Hospitals Honor Roll.”
ThinkSono’s DVT solution has already been trialed in hospitals across the UK, EU and is now expanding into the U.S.
In the trial, researchers will perform traditional ultrasound scans in patients with and without DVT, as well as ThinkSono Guidance System scans. The performance of both methods will be compared to assess and validate the accuracy of the ThinkSono system.Medical students from the NYU Grossman School of Medicine will also aid in conducting the trial as a part of the school’s hands-on research curriculum.
"An effective ultrasound guidance technology would be a powerful tool in our diagnostic arsenal. It’s the kind of innovation through which NYU Langone can literally change the way high-quality, efficient care is delivered to patients on a daily basis. The potential impact in the U.S. and abroad is enormous," Dr. Jacobowitz, President of the American Venous Forum and principal investigator for the NYU Langone study, said in a statement.
“I’m very pleased with the partnership we have with NYU Langone Health and it shows how forward-thinking the institution is by trialing cutting-edge AI technologies that may benefit patients, providers, and ultimately patient lives," said Fouad Al Noor, CEO of ThinkSono.
(Image source: thinksono.com)
