ASE and UFFC-S to Co-Host Upcoming Hackathon

ASE and IEEE UFFC-S to co-host a Hackathon on 14 June 2022 in Seattle, Washington on the
topic New Ultrasound Technology for Critical Care Continuous Monitoring

(SEATTLE, 17 May 2022)--The American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) is pleased to announce collaborative efforts with the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control Society (IEEE UFFC-S), to co-host a Hackathon on 14 June 2022, in Seattle, Washington. Coinciding with ASE’s Scientific Sessions, and chaired by Carol Mitchell, Ph.D., RDMS, RDCS, RVT, RT(R), ACS, and FASE, the joint initiative will bring together experts from their respective fields to work together toward advancing diagnostic ultrasound technology to support continuous monitoring of patients in critical care.

The use of cardiovascular ultrasound for anatomic or physiologic assessment at discrete time points to monitor and optimize treatment for critical care patients is well documented. However, in rapidly changing clinical situations, timely and reliable ultrasounds can be difficult to obtain through conventional, and even advanced echocardiography technology. Efforts to develop and apply continuous anatomic or physiologic ultrasound monitoring have been reported, but not widely adopted. Ongoing advancements in diagnostic ultrasound technology and a proliferation of advanced cardiopulmonary life support devices and other therapeutics in the critical care environment prompted a cross-functional collaboration between ASE and IEEE UFFC-S to address the pressing need for continuous monitoring in the critical care setting and drive innovation.

In January 2022, after a rigorous application process, participants were selected and assigned to a team comprised of one clinical representative from ASE and two ultrasonic engineers from IEEE UFFC-S. Over the past few months, Hackathon participants have been working within their teams to gather information, brainstorm, and develop their project concept. On the day of the Hackathon, teams will work to finalize their approach and present it to a panel of judges from both organizations. Teams will be awarded points for project innovation, functionality, and expertise – demonstrating that the project is feasible and grounded in scientific principles. The winning concept and team will be highlighted in the July issue of ASE’s Echo magazine.

Of the collaborative endeavor, ASE President Raymond Stainback, MD, FASE, commented, “The Hackathon event puts practicing critical care doctors and engineers in the same room and presents them with the rare opportunity to tackle a problem that has been fairly resistant to impactful innovations.”

IEEE UFFC-S President Mark Schafer, Ph.D., FAIUM, FASA, FAIMBE concurred and noted, “We are very pleased to be working with ASE, bringing together the engineering skills of our members with the clinical knowledge of ASE practitioners. This is a unique collaboration that we would like to replicate in the future, to more rapidly advance towards new solutions for improved patient care.”

IEEE UFFC-S is a professional association of academics, industry professionals, researchers, students, and others focused on promoting the advancement of the theory, technology, materials, and applications relating to the generation, transmission, and detection of ultrasonic waves and related phenomena; medical ultrasound, and associated technologies; ferroelectric, piezoelectric, and piezomagnetic materials; frequency generation and control, timing, and time coordination and distribution.