GE HealthCare has launched two new products - an automated breast ultrasound system and a browser-based image viewer - designed to expand supplemental screening for women with dense breasts and allow radiologists to review exams remotely. The tools address a growing regulatory and clinical need: since September 2024, FDA rules require mammography facilities to notify patients about breast density, and dense tissue makes cancer harder to detect on standard mammograms.
Automated ultrasound with AI and fast scanning
The Invenia Automated Breast Ultrasound (ABUS) Prime uses AI tools from GE HealthCare's Verisound AI platform to help technologists capture consistent 3D ultrasound images. Features include scan quality assessment and auto nipple detection. A Fast Scan mode increases scanning speed by up to 40% compared with the previous Invenia ABUS 2.0 system, the company said.
The system also has a redesigned transducer and adjustable compression levels to improve patient comfort. It received FDA premarket approval and is CE marked.
Remote viewing platform for radiologists
The companion platform, ABUS StreamVue, is a browser-based reading tool that lets radiologists access and review ABUS exams remotely across enterprise imaging networks and breast imaging centers. GE HealthCare worked with Candelis to deliver the technology. StreamVue recently received FDA 510(k) clearance and CE marking. The platform simplifies installation and maintenance and makes it easier to compare exams from different locations.
Clinical context and industry moves
About 40% of women aged 40 to 74 - approximately 25 million women - have dense breasts. Dense tissue can mask cancers on mammograms and is itself a risk factor for breast cancer. The FDA's 2024 density notification rule has pushed more facilities to consider supplemental screening options like ultrasound.
GE HealthCare also noted that the Invenia system supports QVCAD, an AI-assisted reading tool that highlights possible lesions. In March, the company completed its $2.3 billion acquisition of Intelerad, adding cloud-based enterprise imaging and AI. In November 2024, it introduced the Pristina Via mammography system for streamlining workflows. Healthcare professionals interested in how these technologies are evolving can explore AI for Healthcare resources to stay informed on practical applications.
"Invenia ABUS Prime can help deliver streamlined workflows, reproducible imaging," Karley Yoder, CEO of ultrasound solutions at GE HealthCare, said in a statement. One of the first U.S. installations is at BeSound, a breast imaging provider in Los Angeles. BeSound is also planning a mobile screening unit to bring supplemental imaging closer to patients.
Why this matters for healthcare professionals
For radiologists and breast imaging technologists, these tools offer a way to standardize ultrasound image quality while reducing scanning time and enabling remote review - factors that can help practices handle growing demand for supplemental screening without adding staff. The ABUS StreamVue platform also supports multi-site workflow, allowing health systems to centralize reading while expanding access for patients with dense breasts. As density notification requirements increase patient awareness, practices that adopt these AI-assisted systems may be better positioned to manage the resulting rise in imaging volume.
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