GE HealthCare launches new AI-enabled automated breast ultrasound system
GE HealthCare has announced the launch of its Ivenia Automated Breast Ultrasound (ABUS) Premium—an advanced 3D system that harnesses the power of artificial intelligence to improve supplemental screening efficacy.
ABUS is especially beneficial for women with dense breasts, who are often sent for supplemental ultrasound to rule out suspicious mammogram findings. These women are four to six times more likely not only to develop breast cancer, but to have it missed on imaging as well.
Ivenia ABUS Premium was designed to streamline supplemental breast ultrasound workloads and enhance diagnoses by improving ease of use and image reproducibility. It integrates AI tools, such as GE’s Scan Quality Assessment, which guides techs throughout exams, ensuring full coverage and appropriate positioning. Its Fast Scan tool increases speed by up to 40%, while cSound Imageformer enhances pixel focus and provides higher image resolution.
Karley Yoder, CEO of Comprehensive Care Ultrasound at GE HealthCare, expressed optimism for how this new system will improve supplemental ultrasound screening by identifying difficult to detect cancers, improving workflows and reducing unnecessary biopsies.
“Women with dense breasts often face poorer outcomes due to malignancies detected at later, more advanced stages. Invenia ABUS Premium equipped with AI has the potential to optimize clinicians’ screening capabilities, enabling them to detect even small, early-stage cancers with a high degree of confidence in women with dense breasts,” Yoder said in a press release. “Invenia ABUS Premium is designed to help deliver the best possible outcomes for patients while also prioritizing the patient experience with features to improve scan speed and enhance comfort during an exam.”
"As an early adopter of ABUS, I've experienced the entire evolution of this technology. The Invenia ABUS Premium is superior with its special AI features, which ensure the breast volume is captured and offer automatic nipple annotation, reducing scanning time and streamlining clinical workflow," added Athina Vourtsis, MD, PhD, chief director and founder of Athena Medical in Athens, Greece, and a member of the Medical Advisory Board of DenseBreast-Info.
Invenia ABUS Premium has received premarket approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and it is set to premier in numerous countries throughout 2025.
Learn more about the system here.
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.