Kosmos™ is a portable, artificial intelligence (AI)-guided ultrasound scanner for high-resolution imaging of the heart, lungs and abdomen.
Developed by US-based medical equipment company EchoNous, Kosmos is the first patented hybrid point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) clinical tool designed to boost diagnostic confidence at the bedside.
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The scanner’s powerful imaging capabilities can identify a range of lung and cardiac disorders such as bilateral lung infiltrates, subpleural consolidations, irregular and thicker pleural lines, B line-like abnormalities and cardiac signs associated with myocardial dysfunction.
Regulatory approvals for the Kosmos ultrasound system
In March 2020, the Kosmos platform became the first AI-assisted handheld ultrasound tool to receive US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for clinical use. It also received the European CE mark approval in the same month.
In August 2021, EchoNous’ Lexsa, a 128-channel linear probe designed for the Kosmos device, received FDA clearance for use in multiple healthcare specialities in the US. The probe allows Kosmos to deliver high-quality ultrasound images of vascular structures, nerves and the musculoskeletal system.
The platform has been thoroughly tested in acute care clinical settings on more than 300 patients, as well as in live clinical demonstrations by hundreds of physicians and imaging specialists from the US, Canada, Europe and Japan.
Collaboration details
EchoNous collaborated with eInfochips, a product engineering and semiconductor design company based in the US, for the development of the cloud-based connected health KOSMOS platform in May 2020.
The collaboration allowed the development of the world’s first AI-on-the-Edge ultrasound-based device together with deep learning for clinical assessment of the heart, lungs, and abdomen.
In August 2021, EchoNous partnered with Us2.ai, a software company based in Singapore, to offer accurate machine-learning-enabled heart health analysis for patients in minutes. EchoNous’ Kosmos platform integrated with Us2.ai’s software can provide automated analysis of heart structures that are scanned with Kosmos, enhancing accuracy and saving time.
EchoNous utilised Lantronix’s Open-Q™ Micro SOM (µSOM), development kit, and engineering services in the development of the Kosmos platform.
In August 2022, EchoNous partnered with Samsung, a South Korean manufacturing company, to enable medical professionals to run the Kosmos on off-the-shelf Galaxy Tab Active Pro tablets, supporting versions 12.0 and above.
EchoNous’ partnership with UltraSight, an Israeli digital health pioneer, in June 2023 allows more medical professionals to conduct cardiac ultrasound in multiple care settings, improving patient access to cardiac monitoring. The UltraSight real-time AI guidance software, an AI-powered cardiac ultrasound technology, received FDA clearance in July 2023.
Kosmos portable ultrasound system design and specifications
Kosmos is mainly composed of the Kosmos Bridge display unit, a proprietary ultra-secure platform that runs the EchoNous system software, and the Kosmos Torso, an ultrasound imaging tool connected through a cable.
The Kosmos Bridge weighs 652g (23oz), while the Torso weighs 227g (8oz). The Torso device’s frequency range is between 50Hz and 60Hz, while the display offers a high resolution of 1,920 x 1,200 pixels.
The Bridge is a custom-designed Qualcomm® SDA835 system-on-chip (SoC) tablet that can conduct all AI computation functions by itself. It does not require cloud connectivity, ensuring patient and hospital data protection and no service interruptions during scanning.
The data can easily be shared with healthcare settings by seamlessly connecting to their information technology (IT) systems without internet connectivity. The tablet offers 128GB of internal storage and can also support remote storage.
The platform comes with three high-performance transducer probes with a high-durability piezoelectric-based phased array, including Torso, Torso-One and Lexsa. The Torso probe integrates the signals of a stethoscope, echocardiogram (ECG) and ultrasound in real time. The handheld device offers continuous wave (CW) and pulsed wave (PW) Doppler capabilities.
The close-grip Torso-One probe occupies less space and offers high-definition ultrasound imaging, while Lexsa provides superior performance with a 64/128 channel system in extremities, vascular and superficial applications. Both the Bridge and the Torso devices are powered by batteries that can support 90 minutes of continuous scanning.
Kosmos ultrasound system features
The Kosmos device is the only portable ultrasound scanner that generates real-time ultrasound images using pulse-echo ultrasound. It ensures deep learning using high-grade image quality and algorithms for accurate results.
The platform also features a comprehensive suite of clinical deep learning applications planned for its 12-to-24-month roadmap. It displays its AI calculations to clinicians transparently, while performing clinical duties such as AI-calculated ejection fraction.
The portable probe and customised tablet can be moved quickly and easily around crowded hospital wards and the system’s long-lasting design makes it easy to disinfect.
The Kosmos app utilises Microsoft Azure’s cloud and its Internet of Things (IoT) capabilities to offer edge-to-cloud healthcare solutions.
Benefits of the portable ultrasound system
Kosmos is a portable device that provides diagnostic-grade imaging, resulting in clinical clarity at the bedside. It delivers ultrasound imaging, three-lead, single-channel ECG and digital auscultation signals, which allow clinicians to compare different views of the same physiological event.
Kosmos provides a more thorough overview of the patient’s health on the spot by synchronising ultrasound, ECG and auscultation. Its AI-guided interface further automates and optimises image acquisition processes.
The device’s lightweight and handheld design makes it easy to carry around in healthcare settings.
It provides mobility, high processing power, and other benefits including early launch, technical support, low cost and reasonably priced development tools and resources.
