Clarius Mobile Health, a leading provider of high-definition handheld ultrasound systems, has introduced Voice Controls https://clarius.com/technology/voice-controls , a new feature powered by artificial intelligence (AI) that enables clinicians to control multiple imaging functions with voice commands, leaving their hands free to perform procedures and exams. It is available to all Clarius members using any Clarius HD3 wireless ultrasound scanner with the latest 10.3 release of the Clarius Ultrasound App for iOS and Android.

“Voice Controls is an absolute game changer for me when I’m doing a procedure using Clarius,” says Dr Alan Hirahara, an orthopaedic surgeon specializing in sports medicine. “When I have two hands full, one with the ultrasound and the other with a scalpel or syringe, I would need an assistant to manipulate something on screen, or to document the procedure, so I don’t contaminate the sterile field. Now I just say ‘capture video, increase gain, or colour mode’. There’s so much we can do, and the nurse is free to do something else in the clinic.”

Voice Controls will initially be available in English only. It is one of many advanced AI features available with Clarius membership. To develop Voice Controls, Clarius recorded thousands of voice commands and used machine learning algorithms to teach the software to recognize and perform key imaging functions. Users standing within a metre of the smart device will be able to use voice commands to adjust gain and depth, freeze images, switch imaging modes, and to capture images and videos. Clarius Voice Controls also work seamlessly with wireless headsets.

“I think the addition of the Voice Controls feature is brilliant,” says Dr John Arlette, a dermatologist whose practice is focused on injectable therapies, cosmetic therapy, and aesthetic management. “Instead of reaching for the touch screen to make a change with what you’re seeing on the screen, you can use Voice Controls to capture an image or capture a video clip. Procedures are faster and I can focus on the patient instead of being distracted by mechanical adjustments to the settings on my device. The voice-activated mechanism is especially an advantage to the practitioner who’s working on their own.” Clarius has tested the new feature with clinicians from a variety of specialties including those who use ultrasound for diagnosing and treating MSK ailments and sport injuries, plastic surgery, anaesthesia, aesthetics, pain management, orthopaedic surgery, and veterinary medicine.

“Voice Controls have proven to be useful on traditional ultrasound systems and we’re excited to offer this premium feature to all Clarius members,” says Kris Dickie, Vice President of Research and Development at Clarius. “Our goal is to continue making innovative features available on all Clarius handheld scanners for a small fraction of the cost that is currently the norm for premium ultrasound systems. Every clinician should have access to a high-quality ultrasound system to improve patient care.”

Clarius also recently announced the first FDA-cleared AI ultrasound application for musculoskeletal imaging, which automatically identifies, highlights, and measures tendon structures in the foot, ankle, and knee, accelerating ultrasound mastery for new users and hastening diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal injuries. MSK AI is a new feature offered with the Advanced MSK Package, exclusively available with Clarius membership.

For more information, visit: www.clarius.com.
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