Introducing SUOG for ultrasound pregnancy support
Screening in early pregnancy for foetal abnormalities is an established part of routine care in Western countries.[1] If the screening identifies an unusual feature (such as foetal malformation, or a growth anomaly), clinicians must refer the patient for an expert scan to decide a prognosis and organise care. However, there’s a lack of expert resource for those second mandatory scans. Some screening operators need support to refer patients to the right expert at the right time.
There is evidence that early pregnancy scans could be improved. [2][3] During the past decade in France, there’s been an increase in the average number of ultrasound scans per pregnancy, although the probability of being diagnosed with a birth disorder hasn’t grown.[4] What’s missing is a system for ultrasound screening that collects all relevant images during the scan and analyses these images to provide guidance for diagnosis hypothesis.
Improving the quality of ultrasound scanning
SUOG stands for Smart Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynaecology. SUOG provides the operator with relevant information in real-time when faced with unusual features. The system relies on artificial intelligence (AI) to provide image recognition and intelligent guidance on what to look for, based on previous normal and abnormal findings, plus possible diagnoses. The guidance is provided by an integrated knowledge base designed by international experts in the field of obstetrics, gynaecology and foetal medicine.
From the very first scan, doctors, midwives or sonographers can collect high-quality image sets, as expert operators would do. If an expert eye is needed, they can request a second expert opinion based on these images, or refer patients to expert centres.
Funded by EIT Health
EIT Health’s innovation programme has been a major accelerator for the SUOG project. Thanks to EIT Health’s partner network, key collaborators across business, research and education are developing this market-leading technology. Thanks to the EIT Health funding, the team can ensure that SUOG is technology ready.
The project will end in 2022 when the fully functional and clinically validated SUOG assistant will be developed. The team are aiming for it to fully integrate with GE Healthcare ultrasound platforms in 2023. With GE Healthcare’s involvement, SUOG will finally enter the market as a validated product in 2024.
External partners
- UCL Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- CHU Brugmann
Members

CLC/InnoStars: InnoStars
Partner classification: Business, Education, Research
Partner type: Core Partner
GE Healthcare, as a leading provider of medical imaging, monitoring, biomanufacturing, and cell and gene therapy technologies, enables precision health in diagnostics, therapeutics and monitoring through intelligent devices, data analytics, applications and services. With over 100 years of experience in the healthcare industry and more than 50,000 employees globally, the company helps improve outcomes more efficiently for patients, healthcare providers, researchers and life sciences companies around the world.
GE Healthcare
Key Activities in Research and Developement
Other research, Biomedical engineering, Life Sciences, Clinical research
Key Activities in Corporate Innovation
Pharma, Med Tech, ICT, Diagnostics, Imaging
Key Activities in Business Creation
Incubation, Finance & Investment, Business coaching, Testing & Validation
Key Activities in Education
Business Schools, Entrepreneurship training, Healthcare professional education/training


CLC/InnoStars: France
Partner classification: Research, Tech Transfer, Clusters, Other NGOs
Partner type: Core Partner
Founded in 1964, the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (Inserm) is a public scientific and technological institute which operates under the joint authority of the French Ministry of Health and French Ministry of Research. As the only French public research institute to focus entirely on human health, in 2008 Inserm took on the responsibility for the strategic, scientific and operational coordination of biomedical research. This key role as coordinator comes naturally to Inserm thanks to the scientific quality of its teams and its ability to conduct translational research, from the laboratory to the patient’s bed. Inserm plays a leading role in creating the European Research Area and boosts its standing abroad through close partnerships (teams and partner laboratories abroad). Inserm is active in many areas, such as Technologies for Health, Public Health (Cohorts, Healthcare systems), Infectious and chronic disease, Neurosciences, Cancer, and Genomics.
INSERM - French National Institute of Health and Medical Research
INSERM - French National Institute of Health and Medical Research, 101 Rue de Tolbiac, 75013 Paris, France
Key Activities in Corporate Innovation
Pharma, Med Tech, ICT, Diagnostics, Imaging, Nutrition
Key Activities in Social Innovation
Healthcare provision
Key Activities in Business Creation
Incubation, Technology Transfer
Key Activities in Education
Medical faculties, Healthcare professional education/training


CLC/InnoStars: France
Partner classification: Education, Research, Tech Transfer, Clusters, Other NGOs, Hospital / University Hospital
Partner type: Core Partner
Sorbonne University is a multidisciplinary, research-intensive and world-class academic institution. Firmly rooted in the heart of Paris, it is committed to the success of its students and devoted to meeting the scientific challenges of the 21st century. Sorbonne Université is a multidisciplinary research university created on January 1st 2018 by the merging of the Universities Paris-Sorbonne and Pierre et Marie Curie. It is made of three faculties, in Sciences, Medicine and Humanities, and trains 54,000 students, among who 4,700 PhD students and 10,200 international students.
Sorbonne Université (ex UPMC)
Sorbonne Université (ex UPMC), 4 Place Jussieu, 75005 Paris, France
Key Activities in Corporate Innovation
Med Tech, ICT, Diagnostics, Imaging
Key Activities in Social Innovation
Healthcare provision
Key Activities in Business Creation
Incubation, Technology Transfer
Key Activities in Education
Entrepreneurship training, Technical faculties, Medical faculties, Healthcare professional education/training


CLC/InnoStars: France
Partner classification: Tech Transfer, Clusters, Other NGOs, Hospital / University Hospital
Partner type: Core Partner
We are a teaching hospital with a European dimension globally recognized. Our 39 hospitals attended each year 8 million sick people: consultation in emergency hospitalizations during scheduled or home hospitalization. We provide a public health service for all, 24/24, and it is for us both a duty and pride.
Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris
Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, 1 Avenue Claude Vellefaux, 75010 Paris, France


CLC/InnoStars: Spain
Partner classification: Education, Research, Tech Transfer, Clusters, Other NGOs, Hospital / University Hospital
Partner type: Core Partner
With a staff of over 51,700 professionals, the Catalan Health Institute (ICS) is the largest public health services company of Catalonia, that provides health care to nearly six million people across the country. As a reference entity of the public health system, the aim of ICS is to improve people’s health and quality of live, through the provision of excellent health services in his 8 Hospitals and 949 primary care centers and local consultancy, regarding both the promotion of health and the treatment of diseases, from the most prevalent to the most complex ones. Also, our organization includes research - 7 Institutes - , and education. All of our activities embrace innovation and knowledge transfer as a guarantee to continuously improve the attention that the institution offers to the citizens.
Institut Català de la Salut (ICS)
Institut Català de la Salut, Gran Via de les Corts Catalanes, 587, 08007 Barcelona, Spain
