Philips’ work to bring artificial intelligence-powered ultrasound to pregnancy exams the world over has received another leg up from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, bringing its total grant funding up to $60M. The foundation previously delivered $15.4M to the project in 2021.
Since then, Philips has aimed to connect AI-guided assistance with its Lumify hand-held probe to allow its use by midwives who may have less experience compared to trained ultrasound technicians.
The company said it has demonstrated positive impacts in Kenya, where a pilot has helped triage pregnant women in rural and underserved communities. The new funding will help the program expand to additional countries—as well as support the technology’s eventual launch as a commercial offering.