Interview with Dr. Sanjiv Bhalla, MD, CCFP-EM, FRCP, FSCC

We recently sat down with Dr. Sanjiv Bhalla, Medical Director of Kinetix Medicine, to discuss the transformative potential of wearable ultrasound and how this emerging technology could reshape the future of patient care. As Medical Director of Kinetix Medicine, ultrasound is an integral part of a number of their minimally invasive pain management procedures.

The path to the ideal wearable ultrasound

When asked to define the perfect wearable ultrasound, Dr. Bhalla envisions a patch-like device that removes the traditional barriers of cost and limited operator availability. According to Bhalla, the ideal device would be inexpensive and simple enough for a patient to apply themselves. Key to its accessibility would be its ability to function without a dedicated ultrasound technologist which is currently a major bottleneck in diagnostic imaging.

This patch-like device would, first and foremost, offer ease-of-use.

"A patient could simply place the device on their body, and it would then retrieve information and send it to a processing center," Dr. Bhalla explains. That data could be sent to the patient’s smartphone or a central hub, AI would then step in to provide information, or even make a diagnosis. "Importantly, that information would be sent back to the patient's phone so they get immediate feedback about what is, or isn’t happening, while the data is simultaneously sent to their physician or the EMR."

Shifting the diagnostic paradigm

This "patch-based" approach offers a dramatic departure from the current model of medical care. Presently, ultrasound is tethered to hospital radiology departments, which are often limited by physical space and a shortage of skilled technologists.

Dr. Bhalla believes the ideal environment for these ultrasound devices is, quite literally, everywhere. He says, “In urban centers, where hospitals are frequently overrun and imaging wait times are long, these patches could provide immediate insight and relief. In rural settings, the impact is even more profound. By eliminating the need for long-distance travel to reach a hospital department, real-time diagnostic information becomes accessible in any corner of the province.”

The power of continuous monitoring

Perhaps the most transformative aspect of wearable ultrasound is the ability to provide continuous, rather than snapshot, imaging. Dr. Bhalla notes that medical problems most often evolve over time, beginning with a "pre-symptomatic" phase where anatomical changes occur before a patient feels any pain or discomfort.

"It would be amazing to have an ‘always on’ device that would catch pathology in that early phase so that solutions, assessments, or therapy could take place before negative outcomes happen," he says.

Dr. Bhalla highlighted two high-stakes environments where continuous monitoring could be a lifesaver:

• Cardiac Function: In the ICU, patients often face sudden changes in cardiac output. A wearable device could alert providers the moment heart function begins to decline, long before the patient experiences chest pain or a heart attack.

• Preventing Blood Clots: Patients immobilized in hospital beds are at high risk for Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT). Currently, scanning for these clots requires portable units or moving the patient to radiology, which is cumbersome. A patch placed in strategic spots could detect a thrombus or even a change in blood flow before redness and swelling appear, allowing doctors to pre-emptively start blood-thinning medication immediately.

The democratization of healthcare

Ultimately, Dr. Bhalla sees the ultrasound patch as a tool for the democratization of healthcare. By disseminating inexpensive, high-tech diagnostics across a broader population, the standard of care is elevated for everyone.

"If you can take a patch and send it to rural areas, military zones, or even hard-to-reach places like cruise ships and airplanes, you have the potential to really help people," Dr. Bhalla concludes. "You've removed the need for them to travel to a conventional hospital department to have the test done."