GE HealthCare (GEHC) will build on its contract for AI-powered ultrasound with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) with an approximately $35 million expansion.
The jointly-funded expanded agreement with BARDA, part of the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, builds on the existing collaborative program initiated in 2023 to develop AI-powered ultrasound technology to support trauma assessment, diagnosis, and treatment in mass casualty incidents.
The expanded scope of the agreement will facilitate development of new AI-powered tools to enhance diagnostic speed and reduce operator dependency, GEHC said, even for nonexpert users. The new automated capabilities will be designed to support more detailed assessments of lung pathologies, including pleural pathologies, as well as to improve the detection of intra-abdominal injuries.
In addition, GEHC said that it is developing point-of-care ultrasound tools for improved reliability and usability in demanding care settings, including field-based settings.
The expanded program will also enable increased engagement with clinicians and medical evaluation sites, according to the company, with a focus on generating clinical evidence, informing ongoing development, and using real-world feedback in developing the new technology.
This project is supported in part with federal funds from BARDA under contract number 75A50123C00035.
![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)
