The Future of Heart Failure Care Is Non-Invasive, and Continuous

Heart failure affects more than 64 million cases globally, and remains a leading cause of hospitalization among adults over 65. In the United States alone, nearly 6.7 million adults live with heart failure, and that number is expected to rise sharply as our population ages. This relentless, progressive condition often leads to a cycle of doctor visits, hospital readmissions, and deteriorating quality of life.

Yet the tools to better manage the disease are already at our fingertips. They just haven't been made accessible enough.

At Sonus, we think it’s time to shift the paradigm from reactive treatment to proactive care:  non-invasive, continuous monitoring available not only in hospitals, but in the comfort of every home.

Echocardiography is a non-invasive ultrasound imaging technique essential for assessing cardiac function and managing heart failure. A recent study found that performing echocardiography in hospitalized heart failure cases results in a significant reduction of in-hospital mortality; approximately 18 per cent lower odds of death during the hospital stay. But despite its life-saving diagnostic value, echocardiograms are performed in only 8 per cent of the 3.7 million annual hospitalizations for major cardiovascular conditions of eligible hospitalized patients in the U.S.

This yawning gap is clearly costing lives. So why is it not used more often? The answer is a combination of systemic challenges - limited access, skilled labour shortages, and outdated infrastructure - that make routine screening inaccessible for too many patients.

At Sonus, we asked ourselves a simple, but transformative question: What if heart failure monitoring could happen automatically, comfortably and remotely?

Listening to the Heart Without Disrupting Life

That question drove us to develop a breakthrough in wearable ultrasound technology. Sonus’ polymer-based ultrasound is scalable, AI-powered, and designed for daily life. More than three quarters of seniors in Canada express a strong preference to “age in place”. Our technology has the potential to help the millions of seniors who want to live independently, but require continuous care.

Preempting Crisis through Continuity 

Congestive heart failure is notoriously difficult to manage because its progression is subtle - until crisis strikes. Hospitalizations often occur only after a crisis, when symptoms worsen beyond control. But what if we could detect those warning signs earlier?

Clinical evidence shows that echocardiography is a powerful tool not only for diagnosis, but for tracking disease progression as well. Repeated assessments allow clinicians to monitor changes in ventricular function, chamber size and hemodynamics, long before symptoms become visible.

Traditional echocardiography depends on a skilled operator, bulky machines, and a hospital visit. At Sonus, we thought that those constraints shouldn’t exist in the first place. Our AI-driven wearable ultrasound enables passive, daily monitoring that can detect concerning trends in real-time, notify care teams, and trigger early interventions. 

The CHAMPION trial demonstrated that early hemodynamic intervention can significantly reduce hospitalizations in heart failure patients. Sonus brings that capability to everyone—not through implants, but with a wearable device as simple to use as a smartwatch.

Better Economics; Better Outcome

By shifting diagnostics out of hospitals and into homes, we can ease the burden on healthcare systems facing rising costs and aging populations. We strive to empower patients to take control of their health without sacrificing their independence. The potential is enormous. Expanding access to echocardiography for all eligible patients could increase annual scans from 7.1 million to over 85 million in the U.S. alone, providing a chance to save lives and reduce preventable suffering on a massive scale.

What Comes Next

We are entering a new generation of cardiac care, where life-saving diagnostics are no longer confined to the hospital. Where AI and advanced materials combine to build tools that are smart, sensitive and accessible. And where every patient, regardless of age or location, can receive the right care at the right time.

If you're a clinician, researcher, or healthcare leader looking to provide the best care for your patients and be on the forefront of life-saving diagnostics, we’d love to hear from you. 

Get in touch: contact@sonusmicrosystems.com