PhD Candidate 'AI-Driven Handheld Ultrasound for Military Trauma Care'

Job description
Do you want to develop artificial intelligence for medical imaging to improve care for injured military personnel?

Military trauma care takes place under challenging conditions. During military operations, medical resources may be limited, specialist expertise may not always be available, and evacuation to a hospital may take hours or even days. Under these circumstances, healthcare providers must be able to rapidly and reliably identify a patient’s injuries and determine the treatment required. Rapid diagnostics can be lifesaving.

Ultrasound offers significant opportunities in this regard. Portable ultrasound equipment enables healthcare providers to examine patients at the point of care, without relying on extensive diagnostic facilities. One important application is the Extended Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma (EFAST), which can be used to detect signs of internal bleeding and pneumothorax, among other conditions. However, performing and interpreting ultrasound examinations requires specific knowledge and experience, which may not be readily accessible in forward-deployed medical treatment facilities.

Can artificial intelligence make ultrasound more accessible and effective for military healthcare providers in operational environments?

This is the central challenge of this PhD research project. Ultrasound offers valuable opportunities for rapid, portable diagnostics in military trauma care, particularly in forward-deployed settings where access to advanced diagnostic equipment and specialised expertise may be limited.

You will investigate how artificial intelligence can support military healthcare providers in acquiring and interpreting ultrasound images. The research will start by exploring existing AI-assisted ultrasound technologies, identifying unmet operational needs and determining where further technological development could provide the greatest benefit to military healthcare.

Applications such as Extended Focused Assessment with Sonography in Trauma (EFAST), used to identify potentially life-threatening injuries, provide a relevant starting point. However, the research will also explore other promising applications of ultrasound and AI across military trauma care.

Beyond developing and evaluating AI algorithms, the project will investigate how these technologies can be effectively integrated into military medical practice, taking into account the capabilities of healthcare providers and the specific challenges of operational environments.

Although military healthcare is the primary focus, the resulting knowledge and technologies may also benefit civilian emergency care, including ambulance services and emergency departments.