Leadership and Companies
AI-Enabled Blind-Sweep Ultrasounds Expand Prenatal Access in Underserved Settings
Google researchers used AI and basic training to help healthcare workers deliver key prenatal ultrasound information without sonographers.
What happened
In a study of 2,000 mothers in Nairobi and Chicago, healthcare workers learned a predefined “blind sweep” ultrasound procedure in eight hours. Google’s on-device model then assessed the recordings, detecting gestational age and fetal presentation as accurately as a trained sonographer. The system works offline and does not require a continuous electricity supply or Wi-Fi.
Why it matters
The approach addresses two major access barriers: expensive, power-dependent equipment and a global shortage of trained sonographers. It could extend important prenatal information to under-resourced communities.
Source: Google Blog