IIT Madras develops Portable Ultrasound Scanner for sports injury diagnosis

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) have developed a portable Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) scanner aimed at diagnosing and managing sports injuries. This device, designed for immediate on-field injury assessment, was developed by the Centre of Excellence in Sports Science and Analytics (CESSA) at IIT Madras. The scanner is expected to help medical professionals quickly determine the extent of an injury and decide if an athlete can continue playing.

This AI-powered POCUS scanner, designed for musculoskeletal imaging, has several advantages, including no radiation exposure and sufficient resolution for effective diagnosis. The team at the Biomedical Ultrasound Imaging Lab (BUSi) has already produced a working prototype, with plans to complete product development by 2024. Further testing and data collection from the field are in progress, in collaboration with sports authorities.

Professor Arun K. Thittai, from the Department of Applied Mechanics and Biomedical Engineering at IIT Madras, who led the development team, noted the gap in current technology for injury management and rehabilitation of elite athletes. “A quick assessment for musculoskeletal injuries on the field will help sports players get immediate attention and focus on recovery,” said Professor Thittai. He added that the technology aims to bring the latest ultrasound innovations to sports medicine beyond hospital settings.

Professor Thittai, also a faculty member at CESSA, highlighted that the POCUS scanner would be integrated with a larger AI platform for athlete management. “We are currently exploring all options to take up POCUS for MSK imaging for commercial translation,” he said.

The CESSA at IIT Madras was established to foster innovation in sports technology, aiming to enhance athlete performance and serve both fitness and health consumers. It also works with sporting federations to increase fan engagement. Ramesh Kumar, CEO of CESSA and a former Global Head of ESPNcricinfo, spoke about the significance of this development. “This device is one more innovative product with a complete effort focussed on indigenisation, which we believe will have a huge impact in the sporting field,” he said.

Sports medicine focuses on diagnosing and treating injuries that occur during athletic activities. Most imaging studies are typically conducted in hospitals after athletes arrive as patients. While they have access to advanced hospital technologies, there is limited access to medical devices in the sports arena during routine training. The POCUS scanner aims to bridge this gap and bring evidence-based injury management directly to the field.

The research and development of this device have been funded by government research grants. CESSA was established with support from the Government of India’s ‘Institute of Eminence’ initiative, which aims to empower educational institutions to become world-class teaching and research centres. IIT Madras was awarded the IoE status in September 2019.