The new AI-assisted features provide guidance for lung ultrasound image acquisition and automated assessment of signs of aortic stenosis at the point of care.
GE HealthCare has announced two AI-assisted capabilities for its Vscan Air handheld ultrasound system: Lung Guidance and AutoAS. Lung Guidance is intended to support consistent lung ultrasound image acquisition. AutoAS provides additional insights for assessing moderate-to-severe aortic stenosis.
Both tools target clinicians evaluating patients with cardiac and respiratory symptoms at the point of care. Patients with symptoms such as shortness of breath can require clinicians to consider cardiac, pulmonary, or overlapping causes, often in time-pressured settings where formal imaging or specialist interpretation may not be immediately available.
“Clinicians at the point of care are often working with limited time and incomplete information, and a symptom like shortness of breath rarely announces if it’s coming from the heart, the lungs, or both,” says Karley Yoder, CEO of ultrasound solutions within advanced imaging solutions at GE HealthCare, in a release. “Lung Guidance and AutoAS are designed to shorten the distance between the initial physical assessment and a clear next step, putting AI-enabled tools in the hands of the clinician who is already with the patient.”
The new features join Caption AI for cardiac scan guidance and Caption Interpretation Auto EF (ejection fraction) interpretation support in the Vscan Air cardiopulmonary suite. According to the company, the suite is designed to bring additional information closer to the initial point of assessment.
Guiding Lung Image Acquisition
Lung Guidance provides real-time scan guidance to help clinicians optimize probe position and acquire diagnostic-quality lung images. It directs them to the correct anatomical landmarks in each zone of the standard 8-zone lung protocol. The system detects landmarks including the pleural line, A-lines, rib shadows, diaphragm, and abdomen.
When predefined landmark and image-quality criteria are met, AutoCapture automatically records an ultrasound clip. A Save Best Clip feature lets users keep the best-quality image from each view when AutoCapture conditions are not achieved. Lung Guidance also supports B-line detection and scoring, along with reporting to help clinicians organize findings from the exam.
In validation testing, non-expert lung ultrasound users consistently acquired diagnostic-quality exams with Lung Guidance, with a 95.2% success rate compared with 96.8% for expert users, per a descriptive assessment.
Estimating Aortic Stenosis From Standard Views
AutoAS provides an AI-assisted automated visual estimate of the presence or absence of moderate-to-severe aortic stenosis using standard 2D cardiac images acquired with Vscan Air SL. It requires at least two compatible standard echocardiographic views: parasternal long-axis, parasternal short-axis at the aortic valve, or apical five-chamber. The algorithm analyzes the images and provides an estimate of whether findings suggest moderate-to-severe aortic stenosis, along with a confidence score indicating the algorithm’s certainty.
GE HealthCare says AutoAS is designed to support a clinician’s early assessment of aortic stenosis when access to formal echocardiography may be delayed. The company adds that the tool was trained and validated against a reference panel of expert cardiologists and can reduce the variability of missed aortic stenosis compared with visual interpretation alone.
Availability and Portfolio Context
Lung Guidance and AutoAS are 510(k) cleared by the FDA and CE marked. They are available for purchase through Vscan Air Innovation Packages in the US and select countries. Existing Vscan Air customers with a valid Innovation Package subscription or license are expected to receive the updates by the end of November 2026. Offerings vary by location and system model.
The additions build on Vscan Air’s existing AI capabilities, including Caption AI and Auto Bladder Volume. GE HealthCare also says it continues to activate AI solutions across its point-of-care ultrasound portfolio, including Venue family systems, LOGIQ e family, and Vscan Air.
Photo caption: Vscan Air family
Photo credit: GE HealthCare
