ProbeFix · ProbeFix: an Innovative MedTech Solution to improve the use of ultrasound for better Cardiac diagnosis in the EU

Cardiovascular Disease accounts for 45% of mortality in Europe as a whole, a number which will increase as more and more people reach old age. In sonography, which is crucial in diagnosing CVD, up to 90% of professionals are experiencing work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSD, also called RSI). There is evidence that 20% of sonographers suffering from WRMSD eventually suffer a career ending injury. This is highly undesirable, especially considering the ever growing demand for cardiac health care professionals.In 2016, new industry standards for the prevention of WRMSD in sonographers have been introduced, but these have not eradicated the problem. USONO has developed the ProbeFix, a fixation device for ultrasound probes, which removes the need to manually keep the ultrasound probe in place. This solution greatly improves sonographer’s working conditions, with the added benefits of increasing reproducibility of scanned images across different operators and patients, and significantly reducing the time an echo scan takes.USONO is will introduce the ProbeFix to the EU market in the next 1-2 years, quickly realizing an impact on cardiac health care and sonographer’s working conditions. There are over 100,000 cardiologists/sonographers in the EU, working in approx.. 10,000 hospitals and cardiac centres. These treat 49 million patients a year, a number that is steadily growing, with a total of over 75 million cardiac echography scans per year. USONO has started selling the ProbeFix in Europe. The main objective of this SME Phase 1 project is to explore and assess the possibilities of scaling-up the ProbeFix in the EU and eventually the rest of the world and bring it ultimately to TRL 9 in Phase 2. Furthermore, the business case and plan needs to be updated, elaborated and further improved, in order to effectively and efficiently introduce the ProbeFix in the EU and, later on, in the world market.