Start-up develops "world's first" tomographic ultrasound robot

After spending two years in stealth mode, Sydney-based medical device start-up Vexev has developed what it says is the world’s first tomographic ultrasound robot (TUR) to make diagnostics more affordable, accessible and insightful. 

The TUR will be tested in upcoming clinical trials at Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs Vascular Imaging, which is located at the Prince of Wales Hospital campus. The trials are supported by Australian vascular surgeons such as Dr Shannon Thomas, A/Prof Ramon Varcoe, Dr Andrew Lennox and Dr Tom Daly.

The primary method of diagnosis for cardiovascular disease is 2D ultrasound operated by a sonographer. Whilst 2D ultrasound is one of the most affordable imaging diagnostic modalities, and does not involve harmful radiation to the patient, it has several limitations - affordability, inconsistency and can only produce 2D scans. Skilled sonographers are also increasingly in short demand, and their careers are often shortened by RSI due to years of operating 2D ultrasound machines. 

Vexev’s technology is designed to automate the entire ultrasound procedure. Beyond increasing the efficiency and quality consistency of 2D ultrasound, the TUR aims to make diagnostics significantly more powerful by producing 3D tomographic ultrasound outputs (analogous to MRIs/CTs). 

As a result, clinical settings where 2D ultrasound was previously uneconomical, such as dialysis clinics and regional clinics, can now adopt an imaging diagnostics capability. With Vexev’s device, sonographers will be able to produce 3D diagnostic outputs just like CT scan and MRI radiographers, complete more scans each day, and no longer suffer from high RSI incidence.

Matt Adams, senior vascular sonographer, said: “Vexev’s device has the potential to evolve the role of Vascular Sonographers, minimising low skill, high volume aspects of typical workflow. It may also assist in combating the well documented shortage of skilled Vascular Sonographers in the workforce, and high incidence of repetitive strain disorder. With extra time on their hands, this highly skilled group of healthcare professionals may have the chance to expand their scope of practice - whether that be in education, research or therapeutic intervention.”

Vexev was co-founded by Dr John Carroll and Dr Eamonn Colley in 2018 after completing their PhDs at UNSW. During their research, John and Eamonn observed that the current approach to monitoring vascular accesses - the conduit in which kidney failure patients receive life-saving haemodialysis treatments - was via manual ‘feel, listen and look’ techniques that were inconsistent and ineffective. This led the co-founders to the realisation that for many clinical settings, current diagnostic imaging capabilities were too expensive and inaccessible. The co-founders became captivated by the prospect of creating a device that was as affordable as 2D ultrasound, but that produced 3D scans like an MRI or CT scan. This idea caught the attention of Blackbird Ventures - Australia’ leading VC - who led Vexev’s first investments and whose principal, Michael Tolo, holds a board seat. 

Tolo said: "For value-based healthcare models to reach their full potential, we will need diagnostic technologies that are as powerful as MRIs, but more affordable than 2D ultrasound. Vexev's device achieves this, and it is exciting to see them reshaping what's possible in this industry.”