During these trying COVID days, patients have been limited in the care they receive because clinics have been limiting access and because patients themselves have been wary of visiting medical facilities. Pregnant women are a particularly vulnerable group and require frequent office visits, including receiving ultrasound exams.
A new device has just been unveiled by PulseNmore, an Israeli firm, that allows patients to perform ultrasound exams themselves and share the results immediately with their sonographers or physicians.
The device is a dock for a smartphone, the bottom being the ultrasound transducer. An app on the smartphone provides training and guidance to the patient so that a scan is performed to achieve high-quality results. Captured images are then shared with the patient’s clinical team and those can be used to guide further decisions.
The people behind PulseNmore hope that the new tele-ultrasound will help clinicians to provide optimal care for their patients while reducing the chance of viral transmission. Israel’s largest HMO, Clalit Health Services, which has over 4 million members, has signed a contract to provide tens of thousands of PulseNmore devices to pregnant women under its management.
“In today’s connected world, women and their partners want and deserve to know about the well-being of their baby without having to visit the emergency room. PulseNmore makes that possible,” said Leor Wolff, Head of Translational Innovation and eHealth Division at Clalit Health Services, in a PulseNmore announcement. “Clalit’s physicians reviewed more than 1,300 self-scans in our initial study with PulseNmore and clearly saw fetal heart activity, movement and amniotic fluid in 95% of the scans. We are confident that PulseNmore’s device will support our healthcare professionals during COVID-19 and beyond, while enhancing the pregnancy experience and satisfaction for our members.”
“At home tele-ultrasound scanning is a major leap forward in digital medicine and prenatal health,” added Dr. Elazar Sonnenschein, Founder and CEO of PulseNmore. “We have successfully miniaturized the traditional ultrasound system to create a solution that is both affordable and accessible for expectant families. According to Clalit, pregnant women pay “false” visits to the emergency room more than twice on average with concerns about their baby’s well-being. Our solution provides vital information to healthcare providers to determine if a baby is healthy, helping expectant mothers have peace of mind at home and avoid unnecessary visits to the ER.”
Here’s a short video demonstrating the potential of the PulseNmore at-home ultrasound:
Link: PulseNmore homepage…