Intelligent Ultrasound signs research agreement with University of Dundee to develop AI-based diagnostic tools for liver disease

PRESS RELEASE 07 November 2023: Intelligent Ultrasound Group plc (AIM: IUG), the 'classroom to clinic' ultrasound company, specialising in artificial intelligence (AI) software and simulation, is pleased to announce that it has signed a research agreement with the University of Dundee to initiate the first phase of proof-of-concept work to develop AI-based tools for screening patients with liver disease.

Utilising the comprehensive archive comprising over one million ultrasound images from approximately 50,000 patients from the University of Dundee and NHS Tayside, the Intelligent Ultrasound team intends to create machine-learning models that make it easier to stage liver disease and monitor disease progression.

The agreement, which is mainly royalty-based, will allow Intelligent Ultrasound to develop ultrasound-based AI tools with the potential to support clinicians in the clinical management of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and its advanced form, metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). MASLD is the leading cause of liver disease and is closely related to obesity, the rates of which are rising.[1] Monitoring MASLD is important as patients in the early stages of the disease may be able to reduce the effects on their liver with dietary and lifestyle changes if caught in time.[2]

Around 30% of the world's population have MASLD, and by 2030 it is expected that healthcare systems will need to accurately stage the disease to allow them to target treatment.[3] As current methods for diagnosis are either invasive, costly, or inaccurate, it is hoped that AI-based ultrasound may prove to be a cost-effective point of care technique that can give clinicians the answers they need.

Nicholas Sleep, COO at Intelligent Ultrasound said:

"We are very pleased to be working with Prof. John Dillon at the University of Dundee on this exciting project. John is a world-renowned hepatologist, having played a major role in introducing Hepatitis C screening in Scotland. His team's clinical experience, combined with the richness of the Dundee dataset, create a strong pairing with Intelligent Ultrasound's expertise in creating healthcare AI solutions. This is a key longer-term step for us as we look to build our fourth AI ultrasound platform and we have high hopes for this proof-of-concept work."

Professor John Dillon, Professor of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Clinical Professor (Teaching and Research) of Hepatology and Gastroenterology, Molecular and Clinical Medicine at the University of Dundee said:

"One of the largest challenges facing us in medicine today is how to stratify a disease - MASLD - that affects 30% of the global population and find the much smaller group with MASH who are at high risk of complications. I am optimistic that by working with the AI specialists at Intelligent Ultrasound, we may be able to make the widely available ultrasound scanning facilities much more useful by adding the ability to differentiate MASH from MASLD patients."

ENDS

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About Intelligent Ultrasound Group

Intelligent Ultrasound (AIM: IUG) is one of the world's leading 'classroom to clinic' ultrasound companies, specialising in real-time hi-fidelity virtual reality simulation for the ultrasound training market ('classroom') and artificial intelligence-based clinical image analysis software tools for the diagnostic medical ultrasound market ('clinic'). Based in Cardiff in the UK and Atlanta in the US, the Group has two revenue streams:

Simulation

Real-time hi-fidelity ultrasound education and training through simulation.  Our main products are the ScanTrainer obstetrics and gynaecology training simulator, the HeartWorks echocardiography training simulator, the BodyWorks Eve Point of Care and Emergency Medicine training simulator with Covid-19 module and the new BabyWorks Neonate and Paediatric training simulator. To date over 1,500 simulators have been sold to over 750 medical institutions around the world.

Clinical AI software

Deep learning-based algorithms to make ultrasound machines smarter and more accessible using our proprietary ScanNav ultrasound image analysis technology. Current products on the market utilising this technology are GE Healthcare's SonoLyst software that is incorporated in their Voluson Expert 22 and SWIFT ultrasound machines; ScanNav Anatomy PNB that simplifies ultrasound-guided needling by providing the user with real-time AI-based anatomy highlighting for a range of medical procedures; and NeedleTrainer that teaches real-time ultrasound-guided needling and incorporates ScanNav Anatomy PNB. 

www.intelligentultrasound.com

NOTE: ScanNav Anatomy PNB is CE approved and cleared for sale in the US by the FDA, but is not available for sale in any other territory requiring government approval for this type of product.