Artificial Intelligence in Point-of-care Ultrasound

In the modern era of medicine, point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is one of the many tools targeted for improvement by recent developments in Artificial Intelligence (AI). This review summarizes current technology’s advantages and disadvantages and theorizes future developments.

As large amounts of time and resources are poured into research and development, AI-enabled POCUS machines are capable of features such as guided image acquisition, automatic image enhancement, voice-activated machine adjustments, and anatomical structure recognition and labeling. These machines provide physicians with many tools to improve diagnostic speed and accuracy, and they could even redefine how ultrasound is taught in medical schools.

AI-enabled POCUS machines provide ample space for growth within ultrasound; however, due to their novelty, reasons for hesitation still exist. Before AI-enabled POCUS machines become widely adopted, legal regulations and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) guidelines must be codified, and the potential for provider skill atrophy and diagnostic bias within machines must be investigated and rectified.