Philips puts AI-enhanced point-of-care ultrasound center-stage in emergency medicine at ACEP 2023

In a wide range of emergency care settings, point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) can provide physicians with immediate insights into a patient's condition, expediting care and informing bedside treatment. It is a cost-effective, non-invasive diagnostic tool that, while also enhancing doctor-patient communication and boosting patient satisfaction [1]. Point-of-care ultrasound imaging can also help reduce time to diagnosis when used as an integral part of clinical examinations and procedures leading to more widespread use of ultrasound imaging in emergency medicine. Philips continues its commitment to integrate AI into its point-of-care ultrasound systems, putting its Ultrasound Compact System 5000 Series, Lumify Handheld Ultrasound, and Philips Collaboration Live tele-ultrasound capabilities and support services center-stage at the 2023 American College of Emergency Physicians Scientific Assembly (ACEP23, October 9-12, 2023, Philadelphia USA).

Philips point-of-care Ultrasound systems installed around the world perform an estimated 44 million diagnostic and interventional procedures each year, supporting diagnosis and treatment in primary care, anesthesia and pain management, emergency and musculoskeletal. By providing emergency medicine physicians with the ability to remotely assess patients in the field, rapidly diagnose patients in the emergency department, and remotely collaborate in real-time with experienced colleagues, Philips’ point-of-care ultrasound systems have the potential to improve patient outcomes, mitigate staff shortages, reduce the cost of care, and improve the patient and staff experience. A consistent user interface deployed across all three point-of-care systems helps minimize the need for staff training, while ‘walk-up’ readiness and dedicated protocol settings contribute to clinical workflows.

“Point-of-care ultrasound has emerged as an invaluable tool in the assessment of patients, both diagnostically and therapeutically. Having access to ultrasound in such a remote extreme environment where your diagnostic capability is prohibitively limited is extremely valuable,” said Dr. Gaynor Prince, Emergency Physician at Sir Charles Gardner Hospital, Australia.

“Leveraging the advanced imaging technology, integrated AI capabilities, and software applications used in our cart-based ultrasound systems, we are making point-of-care ultrasound a strategic focus in our efforts to bring the convenience, cost, and outcome benefits of ultrasound imaging to more patients in more care settings. In addition to providing the hardware, we are committed to expediting innovations and communication, significantly increasing our investments and resources to help shape the future in POCUS,” said Matthijs Groot Wassink, General Manager, Point-of-Care and Obstetrics Ultrasound at Philips.

Philips Lumify Handheld Ultrasound

Even before a patient arrives in the emergency department, the Philips point-of-care system can provide emergency medicine physicians with valuable patient information via Reacts, a stand-alone tele-ultrasound platform. Philips Lumify with Reacts can support a wide range of healthcare settings – from community clinics and cath labs, to emergency departments and radiology rooms. When using Philips Handheld Ultrasound, clinicians have multiple options to collaborate remotely in real-time via the tele-ultrasound capabilities of Reacts while performing a scan, to stream live video, audio, and ultrasound images to remote healthcare professionals to help deliver quality access to care for patients wherever they are.

Integrating AI in Philips 5000 Series compact ultrasound system

The portability of Philips’ new Compact 5000 Series brings the diagnostic quality associated with premium cart-based ultrasound for quick, confident decisions to facilitate first-time-right ultrasound exams for more patients wherever they are. The new Compact 5000 Series also includes an AI-powered automation tool (the automated strain quantification) to assess the function of the heart’s left ventricle, a key indicator of heart health. To facilitate emergency medical care, the system can be configured with an optional battery to quickly ready the system at the patient’s bedside when every second counts.

Expanding Philips Ultrasound Collaboration Live across POCUS

Philips continues to enhance and expand Philips Ultrasound Collaboration Live, an FDA-cleared diagnostic tele-ultrasound tool, across its ultrasound portfolio which now allows physicians to quickly and securely talk, text, screen share, and video stream directly from a Compact 5000 Series ultrasound system. With Philips Ultrasound Collaboration Live, extended care teams can access on-demand expertise for real-time remote clinical diagnosis, including remote system control and clinical decision support, for complex exams and training on care protocols.

Demonstrations of Philips’ point-of-care ultrasound solutions will be available on the Philips booth (Booth #1806) at the 2023 American College of Emergency Physicians Scientific Assembly (ACEP23, October 9-12, 2023, Philadelphia USA). Philips will also be showcasing its latest innovations in point-of-care and cart-based ultrasound imaging at the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Annual Meeting (Anesthesiology 2023, October 13-17, San Francisco, USA).

[1] Howard ZD, Noble VE, Marill KA, et al. Bedside ultrasound maximizes patient satisfaction. J Emerg Med. 2014 Jan;46(1):46-53. doi: 10.1016/j.jemermed.2013.05.044. Epub 2013 Aug 12. PMID: 23942153. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23942153/

Additional resources:

• Philips Lumify Handheld Ultrasound ‘Point of care ultrasound education at your fingertips’. 
• Point-of-Care Ultrasound: Advancing Patient Care at the Bedside. RSNA News, May 4, 2023. https://www.rsna.org/news/2023/may/point-of-care-ultrasound