MAUI Imaging has received a grant from the Gates Foundation to evaluate the feasibility of its computed echo tomography (CET) ultrasound technology for the detection, diagnosis, and triage of tuberculosis (TB).
According to the Tucson-based firm, a study will be undertaken using MAUI Imaging's K3900 Imaging System to determine whether CET ultrasound can be used for effective early TB detection in resource-limited settings.
TB is a major global public health concern, with an estimated 10 million new cases worldwide each year, three million of which go undiagnosed, MAUI noted. The emergence of drug-resistant TB strains has amplified the need for more effective and accessible approaches for prevention, diagnosis, and treatment, especially in areas with limited resources.
Current approaches to preventing, diagnosing, and treating TB are inadequate, and drug-resistant strains have emerged, creating a growing urgency to control the spread of the disease.
MAUI’s CET uses ultrasound to flood tissues with sound waves for rapid imaging of the brain and other internal organs and structures in real time and may be used by clinical personnel without additional training, the company said.
It added that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration-cleared K3900 Imaging System produces a large-scale dataset designed to assist in rapid and effective diagnosis and interventions.
According to the Gates Foundation website, the organization has currently committed $143,486 to MAUI Imaging for the project.
![Examples of ultrasound findings and techniques. (A) Images in a 39-year-old male patient with a mass in the left thigh. The mass is heterogeneous on the B-mode US image (compared with the patient in D) and showed increased microvascularity (superb microvascular imaging [SMI]) and shear-wave elastography (SWE) values. Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma was diagnosed at biopsy (with pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma in surgical specimen). (B) Images in an 18-year-old male patient with a mass in the left leg. The mass is hypoechoic on the B-mode image, with no other findings suggestive of malignancy. The lesion is in contact with the cortex of the tibia, which is slightly irregular. CT revealed a doubtful anteromedial tibial erosion. The microvascular study demonstrated high vascularization, suggestive of malignancy. Periosteal Ewing sarcoma was diagnosed with both histologic and immunohistochemical confirmation. (C) Images in a 69-year-old female patient with a lump growing on the outside of the left leg. Multiple SWE examinations were performed (please note the high values obtained in the measurements, whereas the color map highlights the stiffness relative to adjacent tissues). SMI showed areas of increased vascularization to target for sampling. Undifferentiated spindle cell sarcoma was diagnosed at biopsy, with residual leiomyosarcoma in the surgical specimen after neoadjuvant therapy. (D) Images in a 56-year-old female patient with a mass in the right thigh. The mass is heterogeneous at both B-mode ultrasound (similar to patient A) and MRI (coronal T2-weighted spectral attenuated inversion recovery [SPAIR]; T1-weighted pre-contrast and postcontrast imaging), which even shows uptake after the administration of paramagnetic contrast material, which is traditionally suggestive of malignancy. Low values at SMI and elastography are suggestive of benignity. Spindle cell lipoma was diagnosed at biopsy, with atypical spindle cell lipomatous tumor in the surgical specimen.](https://img.auntminnie.com/mindful/smg/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/images-radiol250278fig2.APCFLSvX6p.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&dpr=2&fit=crop&h=167&q=70&w=250)
