Mobile phones become ultrasound devices, with numerous players in the handheld ultrasound market: GE, Philips, Feno...

NoneHandheld ultrasound systems, also known as pocket ultrasound, transform traditional bulky, large ultrasound desktop machines into mobile, mobile phone-sized color ultrasound equipment. They feature powerful functions such as real-time composite imaging technology and automatic scanning, enabling high-quality images even with challenging cases. Pocket ultrasound allows physicians to easily obtain rich and quick diagnostic information, fundamentally improving the diagnostic process and patient care. Therefore, "pocket ultrasound" is also known as the "new stethoscope." Early pocket ultrasound devices were relatively expensive and had limited performance. In recent years, with the increasing maturity of technology, a number of innovative products have emerged in the market, including domestic pocket ultrasound devices, and pocket ultrasound has begun to be recognized by more people. Signify Research's report statesPocket ultrasound will experience a peak in growth from 2020 to 2025. By 2023, the global market size of handheld ultrasound is expected to exceed US$400 million!

                                                Handheld Ultrasound Life Cycle

In 1816, French physician René Laennec invented the stethoscope. For the next two centuries, almost all doctors used stethoscopes. However, apart from electronic stethoscopes that can amplify signals and filter, the design and technology of stethoscopes have seen little progress. Ultrasound examination can provide anatomical and functional information without ionizing radiation. In the past five years, ultrasound diagnosis has largely replaced stethoscopes in cardiovascular, obstetric and gynecological, and gastrointestinal diseases. Currently, handheld ultrasound has become a useful auxiliary auscultation instrument. With handheld ultrasound, doctors can make rapid diagnoses at the bedside. It has been reported that emergency doctors in the United States are now trained to use handheld ultrasound for abdominal and cardiac ultrasound examinations. Handheld ultrasound is also used in obstetrics, critical care ultrasound examinations, and urinary catheter replacement. A surprising result is that first-year medical students trained in the use of handheld ultrasound had a higher accuracy rate in diagnosing cardiac abnormalities than clinical experts who frequently used stethoscopes. It is believed that in the near future, handheld ultrasound diagnostic devices suitable for clinical population screening will have sound amplification, image display, and remote transmission capabilities, becoming a "visual examination device" carried by doctors.

Early users of pocket ultrasound mainly included cardiologists, emergency doctors, critical care personnel in intensive care units, and military personnel. Emergency medical care was the largest market for handheld ultrasound in 2018, with a size of approximately US$15 million. However, in recent years, in addition to the continuously expanding applications in the traditional POCUS market, clinic doctors in various medical fields (such as urology, gastroenterology, and angiology) are also driving demand. Clinic experts use handheld ultrasound for quick checks and preliminary screening, as an auxiliary tool for onboard ultrasound. Relevant research shows that, to date, the application of handheld ultrasound at the grassroots level is mainly limited to rural areas. In low- and middle-income countries, handheld ultrasound helps more patients access imaging examinations, primarily used for cardiac screening, pregnancy screening, and diagnosis of respiratory and abdominal diseases.

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1. Policy Support

In 2017, the Ministry of Science and Technology of China listed portable handheld ultrasound as a key national research and development project during the 13th Five-Year Plan. Subsequently, handheld ultrasound began to emerge in major professional forums and exhibitions. For example, at the "Promotion and Application Symposium of Domestic Portable Handheld Ultrasound" held in November 2017, guided by the China Medical Equipment Association and hosted by the Ultrasound Equipment Technology Branch of the China Medical Equipment Association, the importance and necessity of promoting and applying domestic portable handheld ultrasound in specialized and primary-level medical institutions were fully affirmed. The new favorite, "handheld color ultrasound," marks a new development in the industry. Most domestic handheld ultrasound products in China were approved for market launch around 2017. In addition, in recent years, the national government and various provinces have successively introduced multiple policies, setting multiple indicators such as prioritizing the use of domestic products and domestication rates in procurement, strongly supporting the development of domestic medical devices.

The large-scale construction cycle of China's primary medical care system is still ongoing, and primary medical care continues to expand. The number of secondary hospitals and primary medical institutions, as well as the number of outpatient visits, are still in a period of rapid growth. At the same time, the construction of the primary care market also relies on the support of professional medical personnel. Data from the "60th Anniversary Academic Conference of Ultrasound Diagnosis in China" shows that in 2017, only 120,000 ultrasound doctors were registered nationwide. Experts at the conference estimated that there is currently a shortage of at least 150,000, indicating significant room for improvement. With the continuous introduction of handheld ultrasound products, the National Health and Family Planning Commission has gradually launched education and training on clinical ultrasound Applications, including handheld ultrasound, to improve the professional skills of clinicians and enhance their "soft power" in health checks and diagnosis. This aims to alleviate the current imbalance in the distribution of medical resources, the shortage of medical equipment in remote areas, and promote the fairness and universal accessibility of medical services.

The miniaturization of ultrasound is an increasingly clear development trend. We hope that handheld ultrasound can enable ultrasound equipment to move beyond the radiology departments of secondary and tertiary hospitals and reach primary medical institutions, clinical departments, and even homes, truly solving the challenges faced by primary medical care.

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