Sonus and Medtronic test AI wearable ultrasound for pregnancy risk screening in Kenya

Sonus Microsystems said it is collaborating with Medtronic to integrate its AI-powered wearable ultrasound patch with Medtronic acute-care monitoring tech. Gates Foundation–funded studies in Nairobi will evaluate the combo for screening pregnant women at risk of early-onset preeclampsia.

Same-day HEALTH primary that wearable autonomous ultrasound and a big-device monitoring stack are being field-tested for maternal risk screening in Kenya, with Gates Foundation Grand Challenges support. This is a discrete partnership and study launch — not a proven clinical result.

The collaboration will evaluate an integrated, non-invasive monitoring system in field studies in Kenya, the company said. Non-invasive here means the system is meant to gather data without surgery.

Aim, still company — study aim, not a proven outcome: the combined technologies are meant to provide clinically relevant cardiac and hemodynamic data to support screening and triage of pregnant women at risk of early-onset preeclampsia. Hemodynamic means how blood moves through the body. Preeclampsia is a dangerous pregnancy complication with high blood pressure and organ stress. Early-onset means it shows up earlier in pregnancy, when risk is often higher. Triage means deciding who needs faster or more intensive care.

Funding, company: the work is funded by the Gates Foundation under its Grand Challenges program. None was printed.

Study partners, still company: the study will be coordinated with Kenyatta University and antenatal facilities in Nairobi, Kenya. Antenatal means pregnancy care before birth.

Company context on the need — attribute, do not independently certify: preeclampsia affects roughly eight percent of pregnancies globally and remains a major driver of maternal and fetal mortality in low-and-middle-income countries. Screening, the company says, still relies primarily on blood pressure measurement.

Product claim, still company — attribute: the Sonus Patch is designed to automatically locate relevant anatomy and acquire clinical-grade images without expert positioning, so nurses, community health workers, and other non-specialists can capture data that previously required a cardiology lab and skilled technicians.

Named voices on the company page: Hani Eskandari, chief executive of Sonus; Rick Sethi, Senior Director of Research & Technology and Open Innovation, Medtronic Acute Care & Monitoring; Joshua de Souza, Senior Principal Scientist, Medtronic Acute Care & Monitoring, and Principal Investigator on the Gates Foundation grant; and Carlos Gerardo, Director of R&D at Sonus. Their quotes are color only and stay in Sources. Medtronic executives are on-record in the same company release.

Plain English for the rest of the card: preeclampsia = a dangerous pregnancy complication with high blood pressure and organ stress. Hemodynamic = how blood moves through the body. Ultrasound patch = a wearable sensor that uses sound waves to image inside the body without surgery. Non-invasive = gathering data without cutting the body. Antenatal = pregnancy care before birth. Triage = deciding who needs faster or more intensive care. Grand Challenges = the Gates Foundation program that funds this study.