Lingshu Medical: Pioneering AI and Robotics-Driven Intelligent Ultrasound for Early Cardio-Cerebrovascular Screening

In February 2020, the first AI-assisted ultrasound diagnostic software, Caption Guidance, received approval from the U.S. FDA. Consequently, AI in ultrasound has begun to attract widespread attention and recognition.

According to Data Bridge Market Research, the global market size for artificial intelligence in ultrasound imaging reached $818.2 million in 2022 and is projected to grow to $1.68618 billion by 2030. This expanding market is attracting numerous companies, including Chinese medical device manufacturers such as Sonoscape Medical and Chison Medical Technologies.

Lingshu Medicalis a standout in this wave of innovation. Founded in 2021, this startup incubated by VINNO boasts a team composed of ultrasound industry experts, seasoned clinical professionals, and R&D personnel from leading domestic and international enterprises and universities.With profound expertise and insights in ultrasound imaging, computer vision, and artificial intelligence, we offer mature and comprehensive technical service solutions. Our AI algorithms enable intelligent real-time assisted ultrasound scanning and high-precision 3D reconstruction.Currently, Lingshu Medical is pioneering a new model of “AI- and robotics-driven” intelligent ultrasound early screening for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. The company’s product, the “Intelligent Ultrasound Screening Device,” not only significantly enhances the accuracy and efficiency of ultrasound examinations but also enables precise identification and analysis of lesions, providing users with more robust and reliable diagnostic evidence.

As an emerging medical imaging diagnostic technology, the core value of AI ultrasound lies in its ability to perform intelligent analysis and diagnosis of ultrasound images through software algorithms. In this process, data plays a crucial role.

Since its inception, Lingshu Medical has focused on building a competitive moat through in-depth data exploitation.Constructed a raw image database encompassing over one million imaging records. Through rigorous professional annotation and screening, Lingshu Medical ultimately curated hundreds of thousands of labeled images, further refining them into tens of thousands of the most representative and diagnostically valuable images to serve as core training data for its AI models. This process first ensures high data quality and reliability, providing a solid foundation for the precision of AI algorithms.

Leveraging these high-quality datasets, Lingshu Medical has successfully developed more than 20 neural network models. These models feature real-time dynamic analysis capabilities, intelligently tracking and navigating key regions within ultrasound images to provide physicians with immediate and accurate diagnostic support. Furthermore, Lingshu Medical’s artificial intelligence system incorporates intelligent 3D structural reconstruction technology, converting 2D ultrasound images into intuitive 3D models. This enables a more comprehensive understanding of lesion morphology and structure, offering richer and more intuitive evidence for clinical decision-making.

To truly address the challenges of ultrasound scanning,Lingshu Medical and the Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences Join Forces to Develop Desktop Ultrasound RobotsIt is reported that the robot is compact and portable, featuring five degrees of freedom. It can adjust its motion trajectory and posture based on real-time ultrasound imaging and force feedback, enabling it to mimic sonographers in performing scanning tasks on areas such as the carotid artery. By integrating advanced reinforcement learning-based intelligent control algorithms, the robot continuously learns and optimizes its motion strategies, thereby enhancing scanning efficiency and reliability while ensuring the safety and comfort of patients.

The deep integration of robotics and artificial intelligence enables the intelligent ultrasound screening device to achieve efficient hand-eye-brain coordination akin to that of professional sonographers, facilitating human-machine collaborative intelligent ultrasound scanning. This allows for precise identification, measurement, and analysis of lesions, thereby providing low-cost ultrasound screening to a vast user base.

Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, as one of the major threats to human health, have long posed a severe challenge to global public health due to their high incidence and mortality rates. In China, data from the *China Health Statistics Yearbook 2019* indicate that cardiovascular disease has consistently ranked as the leading cause of death, while cerebrovascular disease remains among the top causes, ranking third. This situation underscores the importance of regular screening for risk factors associated with cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.

Carotid ultrasound, as an effective method for assessing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health, offers advantages such as high diagnostic efficiency and intuitive imaging, playing an irreplaceable role in the screening, prevention, and treatment of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. However, existing ultrasound screening methods struggle to meet China’s vast screening demands. The high cost of large-scale ultrasound equipment, operational complexity, and shortage of specialized sonographers have limited the widespread adoption and application of ultrasound screening in primary healthcare institutions and community elderly care centers.

To address the challenge of early screening for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases at the primary care level, Lingshu Medical has launched an intelligent ultrasound screening device. By leveraging AI-assisted automated scanning of carotid arteries, the device enables automatic recognition, measurement, and analysis of carotid ultrasound images, as well as automated report generation, thereby enhancing the accessibility and efficiency of carotid ultrasound examinations.

In terms of its product pipeline, Lingshu Medical has taken the lead in deploying superficial applications for the carotid artery, thyroid, and breast.Taking thyroid screening as an example, intelligent ultrasound screening devices can automatically detect, measure, classify, and grade nodules through advanced technologies such as visual prompts, automated measurement and assessment, and 3D reconstruction, thereby generating structured reports. Lingshu Medical has also launched an innovative auxiliary screening system for breast cancer screening, achieving precise detection and classification of breast nodules and effectively preventing missed diagnoses. It is understood that Lingshu Medical will continue to expand its technological boundaries and application scenarios in the future.Plans are underway to introduce AI ultrasound technology into more complex areas, such as abdominal and cardiac screening.

As a new variable in the ultrasound market, Lingshu Medical has achieved a breakthrough from 0 to 1 by empowering more primary healthcare institutions to utilize ultrasound equipment through its “AI software + robotics” solution. Furthermore, Lingshu Medical has expanded its vision to encompass the application of intelligent ultrasound screening devices in broader health and wellness scenarios, such as community elderly care centers, insurance customer services, and corporate employee health management.

With the continuous advancement of the “Healthy China” strategy and the growing public demand for healthcare, intelligent ultrasound screening devices are poised to seize greater development opportunities in the broader health sector. Lingshu Medical has stated that it will continue to deepen its expertise in the ultrasound field, constantly expanding the technological boundaries and application scenarios. Through sustained technological innovation and product research and development, the company aims to provide users with more streamlined and efficient product solutions.

* Lingshu Medical is currently in its Series A financing round. If your investment firm is interested in Lingshu Medical’s products and solutions, please feel free to scan the QR code below to contact us.