Temple Health is partnering with ThinkSono, a UK-based AI company, to study a new artificial intelligence (AI)-powered ultrasound technology that enables more rapid and portable diagnosis of deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
DVT, a condition in which blood clots develop in veins, can lead to potentially fatal complications like the spread of blood clots to the heart and lungs (known as pulmonary embolism) as well as debilitating long-term swelling and pain of the legs (called post-thrombotic syndrome). According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, DVT affects up to 900,000 Americans every year and is common in hospitalized patients. DVT is also a significant driver of healthcare costs, costing the U.S. healthcare system up to $10 billion each year.
Prompt diagnosis of blood clots is extremely important. The ThinkSono technology leverages real-time AI-powered guidance during point-of-care ultrasound to potentially detect DVT more quickly, accurately, and cost-effectively compared to traditional methods.
“There's a vital need for rapid and effective diagnostic tools because DVT can often be missed or misdiagnosed,” said Parth M. Rali, MD, Associate Professor of Thoracic Medicine and Surgery at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, and Temple’s principal investigator for the trial. “Temple’s Pulmonary Embolism Response Team (PERT) has extensive experience diagnosing and treating these dangerous blood clots and we are excited to add this new tool to our arsenal.”
Researchers will perform traditional ultrasound scans in patients with and without DVT, as well as ThinkSono Guidance System scans. The performance of both methods will be compared to assess and validate the accuracy of the ThinkSono system.
Temple joins NYU Langone as the second US-based site of the trial. The research team – including internal medicine resident Ka U Lio, MD, and Christie DiVeterano, NP – hopes to conclude the study and publish the results in the coming year, in preparation for subsequent FDA submission.
“Given that 100,000 Americans die of blood clots each year, we are pleased that Temple University Hospital will be one of the sites participating in the ThinkSono study to detect blood clots faster,” said Gary S. Cohen, MD, FSIR, Herbert M. Stauffer Chair of Diagnostic Imaging at Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, and an interventional radiologist involved in the trial.
Editor’s Note: Dr. Rali has a consulting relationship with ThinkSono, a UK-based company developing AI-guided point-of-care ultrasound for the rapid detection of deep vein thrombosis. This interest has been reviewed and approved by Temple University in accordance with its Institutional Conflict of Interest policy. Questions about this can be directed to [email protected].