An ultrasound probe positioned on fourteen points on the chest is able to identify whether pneumonia is caused by the Coronavirus or other pathogens. With the advantage that the innovative device can be used without the presence of a radiologist or a specialized technician. To perform the examination, a general practitioner, a nurse or a 118 operator is enough. It is called EcovidUs and is an advanced ultrasound system, the result of a joint project between theInstitute of Clinical Physiology of the CNR of Lecce which contributed to the clinical aspects of this device and the Amolab spin-off which dealt with the industrial component. An idea that came at the beginning of the first lockdown, developed in a very short time, already developed and in use in some Italian hospitals, first of all the Dea (Emergency and Acceptance Department) of the hospital of Lecce, the main Covid center of this province.
An all-Italian idea that three young researchers and the project coordinator, Dr. Mark DiPaola, research doctor of the Institute. EcovidUs could play a fundamental role in the diagnosis of Coronavirus. What are its strengths? Dr. Di Paola himself explains it to us.
The project of four Italian researchers from the CNR of Lecce
“With this device, you are practically taking a picture of the health of the lung. Any pneumonia is identified with a90 percent reliability because it is a very precise tool. I remember that the sensitivity of the swabs is around 70 percent, therefore with many false positives and many false negatives. Furthermore, EcovidUs gives a response very quickly, 10/15 minutes with a full lung analysis. It is a very valuable tool for territorial medicine because it is small and portable, has a built-in battery that lasts a long time, can be taken to the patient's home without the need to hospitalize him. A useful device for the Usca, the Special Continuity Care Units that have the task of assisting Coronavirus positives at home. EcovidUs can also be used in an ambulance and with extreme ease. The operators only need a little training, just to know how to correctly position the probe in the 14 points indicated ".
“This tool makes a very accurate analysis that allows you to have an overall idea of the health of the lung. At the end of the exam, there are two benchmarks. The first indicates if a person is sick with values from zero to four, zero means that the lung is healthy, four that pneumonia is severe. The second index goes straight to the problem and tells us, in case of illness, if it is Covid or other pathogens. This device it can also be used in very particular conditions, for example in intensive care where it is difficult to position the probe in all 14 foreseen points. In fact, even just five acquisition points are enough to have a reliable result ”.
The idea of EcovidUs was born when the pandemic broke out
EcovidUs was born with the outbreak of the pandemic last spring. The Salento researchers of the CNR have relied on a device that has already been tested for years and clinically validated for another type of examination, the monitoring of labor. “Considering that this diagnosis could already be made - adds Dr. Di Paola - we thought about how to expand its use. We then contacted pulmonology experts, collected images of different types of pneumonia, created an archive of these images. Then we developed a dedicated software, based on an algorithm capable of classifying the images of health, of disease and in this case also of what disease it is. The machine was ready, all that was needed was the software which, once ready, was inserted into the device already in use. Clinical validation was swift and completed in late September. Almost simultaneous application.
An ultrasound that can independently read the images
What are the differences between a conventional ultrasound and EcovidUs? “The conventional ultrasound system gives images that require the presence of an experienced sonographer who can read them and make a diagnosis. This new advanced device, on the other hand, is able to autonomously read the images and classify them Then giving the operator the input to make the diagnosis. The result is an automatic, rapid and very objective response ”. A dedicated and very versatile instrument, the cost of which is lower than that of the latest generation conventional ultrasound scanners. Useful in hospitals, emergency centers and especially at patients' homes, a fundamental tool for territorial medicine.
