Wearable ultrasound continues to fascinate with its ability to provide real-time imaging data for a number of conditions.
Recent studies have shown that these wearable ultrasound patches, which can fit into the palm of a hand, can successfully take images of the breast, heart, and fetus.
A study published in 2026 showed this promise in monitoring high-risk pregnancies. The patch was developed by researchers out of Stanford Medicine, the University of California San Diego and Oxford University. The study, published in Nature Biotechnology, showed that the team's ultrasound patch produced measurements comparable to standard handheld ultrasound across 62 pregnancies. This included those complicated by gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, hypertension, and abnormal fetal growth.
Geonho (Tom) Park, PhD, talks about the potential of wearable ultrasound devices and the need for more interest from clinical researchers from multiple disciplines.
Geonho (Tom) Park, PhD, from Stanford Medicine discusses how the patch works and why the future of wearable imaging is promising. He also discusses where radiology fits in with wearable imaging and what's needed to expand the use of these devices.
Watch the full episode below.
![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)
