Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Background
Fetal ultrasound is an important component of antenatal care, but shortage of adequately trained healthcare workers has limited its adoption in low-to-middle-income countries. This study investigated the use of artificial intelligence for fetal ultrasound in under-resourced settings.Methods
Blind sweep ultrasounds, consisting of six freehand ultrasound sweeps, were collected by sonographers in the USA and Zambia, and novice operators in Zambia. We developed artificial intelligence (AI) models that used blind sweeps to predict gestational age (GA) and fetal malpresentation. AI GA estimates and standard fetal biometry estimates were compared to a previously established ground truth, and evaluated for difference in absolute error. Fetal malpresentation (non-cephalic vs cephalic) was compared to sonographer assessment. On-device AI model run-times were benchmarked on Android mobile phones.Results
Here we show that GA estimation accuracy of the AI model is non-inferior to standard fetal biometry estimates (error difference -1.4 ± 4.5 days, 95% CI -1.8, -0.9, n = 406). Non-inferiority is maintained when blind sweeps are acquired by novice operators performing only two of six sweep motion types. Fetal malpresentation AUC-ROC is 0.977 (95% CI, 0.949, 1.00, n = 613), sonographers and novices have similar AUC-ROC. Software run-times on mobile phones for both diagnostic models are less than 3 s after completion of a sweep.Conclusions
The gestational age model is non-inferior to the clinical standard and the fetal malpresentation model has high AUC-ROCs across operators and devices. Our AI models are able to run on-device, without internet connectivity, and provide feedback scores to assist in upleveling the capabilities of lightly trained ultrasound operators in low resource settings.
SUBMITTER: Gomes RG
PROVIDER: S-EPMC9553916 | biostudies-literature | 2022
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Gomes Ryan G RG Vwalika Bellington B Lee Chace C Willis Angelica A Sieniek Marcin M Price Joan T JT Chen Christina C Kasaro Margaret P MP Taylor James A JA Stringer Elizabeth M EM McKinney Scott Mayer SM Sindano Ntazana N Dahl George E GE Goodnight William W Gilmer Justin J Chi Benjamin H BH Lau Charles C Spitz Terry T Saensuksopa T T Liu Kris K Tiyasirichokchai Tiya T Wong Jonny J Pilgrim Rory R Uddin Akib A Corrado Greg G Peng Lily L Chou Katherine K Tse Daniel D Stringer Jeffrey S A JSA Shetty Shravya S
Communications medicine 20221011
<h4>Background</h4>Fetal ultrasound is an important component of antenatal care, but shortage of adequately trained healthcare workers has limited its adoption in low-to-middle-income countries. This study investigated the use of artificial intelligence for fetal ultrasound in under-resourced settings.<h4>Methods</h4>Blind sweep ultrasounds, consisting of six freehand ultrasound sweeps, were collected by sonographers in the USA and Zambia, and novice operators in Zambia. We developed artificial ...[more]