IIT-M develops indigenous portable ultrasound scanner for diagnosing sports injury

CHENNAI: Researchers from IIT-Madras have developed an indigenous portable Point-of-Care-Ultrasound (POCUS) Scanner for diagnosing sports injuries and management.

According to IIT-M, the research could potentially allow for on-field diagnosis of injuries, immediate assessment of the extent of injury that will allow for medical professionals to decide on whether to permit the sportsperson to continue playing.

“This AI-powered POCUS scanner has a wide range of applications in sports medicine. It has the benefits of safety (no radiation) and sufficient resolution compared to other modalities. A working POCUS prototype for Musculoskeletal (MSK) imaging, developed at the Biomedical Ultrasound Imaging Lab (BUSi) is currently ready,” a release from IIT-M read.

Researchers are targeting to complete the product prototype development by 2024. Subsequently, testing and collection of pilot data from the field are also being planned in coordination with sports authorities. They have been granted several patents for technologies that went into this device and are working towards developing the product.

Professor Arun K Thittai, department of applied mechanics and biomedical engineering, IIT-M, said, “We observed a current technological gap and a need for a point-of-care device for injury management and rehabilitation of elite athletes within routine training premises. A quick assessment for musculoskeletal on the field will help players get immediate attention and focus on recovery.”

This solution aims to bring the latest development in ultrasound technology to sports medicine beyond the hospital setting. “The inputs from the POCUS assessment will be taken into the bigger AI platform for a holistic athlete management system. We’re exploring all options to take up POCUS for MSK imaging for commercial translation,” added the man who spearheaded the team that developed the device.