AI-Powered Ultrasound for Gastrointestinal Healthcare
Revolutionizing intestinal ultrasound with AI for quicker and more accurate diagnosis of gastrointestinal diseases.
Project Overview
Updated September 9, 2024
The Problem
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), which includes Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, is an escalating health concern in developed nations, affecting over 7 million people globally.1 In 2023, Canada has more than 320,000 individuals living with IBD, with 11,000 new diagnoses this year alone.2 This trend is similar in many Western countries.
The usual test for IBD is an Ileo-colonoscopy (IC), but it is quite invasive, requires sedation and can be expensive. It also has some risks. For specific cases of Crohn’s disease, MRI or CT scans might be used instead, but these are costly, add delays and CT scans expose patients to radiation. Intestinal ultrasounds (IUS) could be a potential alternative for assessing IBD, but they require specialized training. Currently, there are less than 15 experts capable to performing this procedure across Canada.
This presents a significant opportunity to improve the use of IUS both in Canada and worldwide. Developing AI-supported software could help assist doctors and make the test more accurate and reliable for diagnosing diseases, not just in specialized medical tests but in everyday clinical practice.
How We Are Solving It
Led by Satisfai Health in collaboration with Alimentiv, the University of Calgary, the University of British Columbia, and the Canadian Bowel Ultrasound Society (CANBUS), this project aims to fast-track the development and initial market launch of Satisfai Health’s Sonai. Sonai utilizes AI to automate and standardize crucial measurements from ultrasound video feeds, thus facilitating accurate assessments of GI diseases.
The first phase of this precise and efficient diagnostic tool will revolutionize GI care in clinical trials, enabling pharmaceutical companies to conduct patient evaluations more efficiently and cost-effectively in clinical trials, particularly for the rapidly expanding category of biologics for IBD treatment. With no current equivalent technology available to IUS users worldwide, the consortium aims to make AI-enhanced IUS accessible at over 4,000 global pharmaceutical clinical trial sites. These sites are currently managing over 100 active clinical trials and serve millions of patients both in the community and hospital settings. Clinical staff will be empowered to perform consistent IUS measurements for IBD, significantly enhancing the exam’s accessibility and scalability.
After demonstrating its effectiveness in clinical trials, Sonai will be introduced for regular clinical use. This transition aims to enable clinicians globally to integrate this innovative technology into their daily practices, enhancing patient outcomes and reducing healthcare costs. The project intends to encourage widespread use of IUS among clinicians, potentially benefiting millions of patients worldwide and contributing to more cost-effective healthcare systems.
