ASE is a strong proponent for innovation in the field of ultrasound and has been actively engaged in fostering artificial intelligence (AI) to assist guidance of optimal image acquisition for cardiovascular ultrasound. We believe this type of innovation could be an ally to help meet the demands of a growing number of people who are in need of cardiovascular care as obesity and diabetes levels continue to rise around the world. Computer assisted guidance of optimal image acquisition can support sonographers in obtaining high-quality image acquisition following the guidelines and standards for the optimal practice of echocardiography. The Society believes vigorous scientific protocols are needed when creating these AI algorithms as the end products need to take into account many factors including gender, ethnicity, age, etc. that research has shown can dramatically change the testing outcomes.
We applaud the vision of newer industry innovators, such as Ultromics and Caption Health, as well as legacy ultrasound companies including Canon Medical Systems, GE Healthcare, Hitachi Healthcare, Philips, and Siemens Healthineers, who are dedicated to the continued development and adoption of high-quality echocardiography to better support patient-centered care. ASE engages with industry through multiple avenues, including technology summits, think tanks, and our Industry Roundtable program, to ensure that the future of cardiovascular ultrasound is driven by clinical standards of excellence. ASE will continue to set the standards for image analysis, including the quantitative parameters required, expected reliability of measurements, and how these measures are integrated to provide clinical insight.