Chennai (Tamil Nadu): Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) have developed an indigenous portable Point-of-Care-Ultrasound Scanner (POCUS) to diagnose and manage sports injuries. They have earned several patents for the technologies embedded into the device.
This innovation by the Center of Excellence in Sports Science and Analytics (CESSA) at IIT Madras could potentially allow for on-field diagnosis of injuries and a quick assessment of the extent of injury that will allow medical professionals to take a call on whether to let the sportsperson continue playing or not.
This Artificial Intelligence(AI)-powered scanner has a wide range of applications in sports medicine, and has the benefits of safety (no radiation!) and sufficient resolution compared to other modalities.
A working POCUS prototype for Musculoskeletal (MSK) imaging, developed at the Biomedical Ultrasound Imaging Lab (BUSi) is ready and the researchers are aiming to complete the prototype by 2024. Subsequently, testing and collection of pilot data from the field are also being planned in coordination with Sports Authorities.
Elaborating on the need for such technologies, Prof. Arun K Thittai of Department of Applied Mechanics and Biomedical Engineering at IIT Madras, who led the team of researchers said, “We observed an existing technological gap and felt a need for a Point-of-Care device for injury management and rehabilitation of elite athletes within the routine training premises. A quick assessment for musculoskeletal damage on the field will help sportspersons get immediate attention and quick recovery”.
“This solution aims to bring the latest development in ultrasound technology to sports medicine beyond the hospital setting. The inputs from the POCUS assessment will be taken into the bigger AI platform for a holistic athlete management system. Currently, we are exploring all options to take up POCUS for MSK imaging for commercial translation,” Thittai, who is also a faculty member at CESSA, IIT Madras, said.
IIT Madras established the CESSA to become a global platform for fostering innovation in sports technology and delivering products and solutions to enhance athlete performance and serve the general fitness and health consumers. It will also create and deliver products and solutions across media platforms and work with sporting federations and bodies to increase fan engagement.
Ramesh Kumar, the Chief Executive Officer of the Center of Excellence in Sports Science and Analytics (CESSA), IIT Madras, who was the former global head of ESPNcricinfo said, “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.”
Sports Medicine is a niche specialization that specifically focuses on diagnoses and treatment of injuries sustained during sporting activities. Most of the imaging is typically done at hospitals where the sportsperson is admitted as a patient.
Although they get access to the latest technologies used in a hospital set-up, there is a huge gap in access to these medical devices in the sports arena, which can be used during routine training as well. Such access will impart a paradigm shift in sportsperson care and allow for evidence-based training and possible injury prevention.
The research has been funded through the CESSA at IITM. CESSA was established with support from the ‘Institute of Eminence’ initiative of the Government of India. IIT Madras was accorded the ‘Institute of Eminence’ (IoE) status in September 2019. It is part of the central government’s vision of empowering educational centres as world-class teaching and research institutions.
