The American Society of Echocardiography left an echo this year in Music City as it celebrated its 50th year. Among the studies and products unveiled at ASE 2025, here are Cardiac Wire’s top five takeaways from the meeting.
Premium Echo Has Found its Stride – Although most typically think of ultrasound as a lower cost modality, the number of premium offerings unveiled and exhibited at ASE 2025 suggest that there’s more than enough room at large hospital systems and research institutions for the best the modality has to offer.
Echo is Great, but AI Makes it Better – Even with the significant improvements in scanner technology, image quality can only take ultrasound so far. Nearly every major CVUS vendor had unveiled custom AI native to the device, while AI firms focused on vendor agnostic software to give unique benefits like EF quantification and probe placement guidance.
Software Softens Staffing Issues – Despite cardiovascular ultrasound’s importance to the detection and diagnosis of CV diseases, sonographers staffing troubles persist. While CVUS software vendors can’t fix the sonographer shortage, many are developing tools like probe guidance and measurement algorithms to help bridge the gap between new and experienced technicians.
Ultrasound Enhancing Agent Use is Lagging – A common theme across all of our conversations with UEA makers was that most echo labs are not using UEAs as much as they could (or even should be). Though estimates vary (some say 20-30% of scans need UEAs, but only 4-6% get them), the trend is clear that injectable UEAs are underutilized.
Innovation in CVUS Exists at Every Step – While AI and hardware improvements tend to dominate the echo innovation conversation, a range of companies are working to improve the physical aspects of CVUS testing. Whether it’s Agitated Solutions removing human error from the bubble test or CardiaLine improving the ergonomics of the stress test, innovation in CVUS is everywhere.
