NEWS
How Echo Labs are Turning to AI to Make Key Measurements Accessible to All
The ability of echocardiography labs to perform key measurements analysis is often compromised due to limited time, shortage of personnel or lack of access to accurate automated software tools on ultrasound devices.
DiA Imaging Analysis's AI-based cardiac ultrasound solution, LVivo Seamless, leverages AI to improve echo lab efficiency and increase access to key measurements for more echo patients.
LVivo Seamless automated analysis also reduces the dependency, subjectivity and variability associated with manual measurements or visual imaging analysis processes, thus standardizing the process to support clinical decision-making.
Feeling the Strain
An example of an important measurement that LVivo Seamless provides automatically for every echo patient is Strain. Measuring and reporting global longitudinal strain (GLS or Strain) is endorsed by leading imaging and cardiology associations for the evaluation of various cardiac conditions. Strain measurement is becoming a key indicator for monitoring subclinical left ventricle (LV) dysfunction; crucial in cases of cardiotoxicity, chemotherapy patients as well as follow-up after coronary events, pre-surgery for aortic stenosis valve replacement and other valvular disease states.
Many echo labs report that they would ideally perform Strain for at least 50% of echo exams, with some even striving for 70%, since they believe that is the rate of patients who qualify for Strain analysis due to their clinical condition.
However, the reality is that most echo labs have the capacity and infrastructure to perform this important indicator on only 5-15% of echo exams.
Overcoming Challenges
Despite its significance, performing Strain measurement involves a number of challenges. First, automated Strain analysis tools and software are not always offered on all echo lab ultrasound devices.
Performing Strain measurements is also a time-consuming exam that takes up to 15 minutes to complete due to several manual steps. The process is often experience-dependent and requires additional training to perform. Strain results also vary between different vendors creating inconsistency.
As a result, echo lab professionals need to carefully ‘pick and choose’ which patients receive this key measurement, since they can't perform it for all.
LVivo Seamless in Action
LVivo Seamless addresses these challenges in the echo lab and offers key measurements including Strain, Ejection Fraction (EF) and Right Ventricle (RV) size and function automatically for all patients. The AI-based cardiac ultrasound analysis software runs behind-the-scenes on every echo exam post-scanning, as an integrated part of echo lab workflow.
The software automatically selects and analyzes the optimal apical views, generating accurate and reproducible measurements that appear immediately as an in-motion, editable secondary capture on any Healthcare IT/PACS viewer.
Today, we already see LVivo Seamless being used as part of echo lab clinical workflow to make the cardiac ultrasound image analysis process smarter, faster and more accessible. The software maximizes existing limited resources and boosts cost-efficiency in echo labs.
Importantly, key measurements can now be offered to all qualified echo lab patients, providing better care to a wider pool of patients and dramatically improving patient treatment and follow-up.
With LVivo Seamless, the future is here.
Meet DiA Imaging Analysis at ESC 2022, August 26-29, Barcelona, Spain to discover more. www.dia-analysis.com/esc-2022
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