What's Happening?
Sonus Microsystems has been awarded a significant grant from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) to develop a point-of-care test for assessing placental health. This initiative is part of ARPA-H's Making Obstetric Care Smart (MOCS)
program. The project aims to provide clinicians with an objective measure of placental health, which is crucial for identifying pregnancies at risk of fetal hypoxia during labor. The Sonus Patch™ AI platform, a wearable ultrasound technology, will be central to this development. The platform is designed to offer consistent and repeatable measurements of placental tissue, moving beyond traditional ultrasound imaging that often requires expert interpretation. The project is a collaborative effort involving the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, the University of British Columbia, Atrium Health, and Oregon Health & Science University.
Why It's Important?
The development of a reliable, point-of-care test for placental health is significant as it addresses a critical gap in maternal healthcare. Fetal hypoxia, a condition where the fetus receives insufficient oxygen during labor, is a leading cause of newborn mortality and long-term health issues. By providing an objective assessment of placental function, the Sonus Patch™ could enable earlier interventions, potentially reducing the incidence of fetal distress and improving outcomes for both mothers and babies. This technology is particularly valuable in low-resource settings where access to skilled healthcare providers is limited. The ability to perform accurate assessments at the bedside could transform prenatal care, making it more accessible and effective.
What's Next?
The Sonus Patch™ will undergo clinical trials at BC Women’s Hospital in Vancouver and Atrium Health’s facilities in North Carolina. These trials aim to validate the technology's effectiveness in real-world settings. The project team plans to conduct a large multi-site study, with the ultimate goal of obtaining approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for broader clinical use. If successful, this technology could be integrated into standard prenatal care practices, offering a new tool for healthcare providers to improve maternal and fetal health outcomes.
