echOpen InSimo are partnering to enhance clinical ultrasound training

InSimo, a company specializing in the development of high-fidelity simulation software for medical training, and echOpen, a startup whose mission is to make clinical ultrasound accessible to all healthcare professionals through the development of the echOpen —a connected, ultraportable transducer—announce a strategic partnership to democratize the practice of ultrasound by bridging the gap between training and clinical practice.

Numerous studies suggest that clinical ultrasound helps build patient trust in their doctor.

Clinical Ultrasound: A Major Asset in the Diagnostic and Therapeutic Management of Patients

Clinical ultrasound is a powerful diagnostic tool—radiation-free, noninvasive, and painless—whose effectiveness is indisputable. It reveals information invisible to the naked eye that is essential for making a rapid and accurate diagnosis, and it helps answer simple, binary questions such as: “Is it serious? Is it not serious?” or “Which organs are affected?”

Performed directly by a physician (primary care physician, emergency physician, or hospital physician), clinical ultrasound complements the standard physical examination and significantly enhances it by providing real-time visualization of internal organs and allowing for the rapid confirmation or refutation of a diagnostic hypothesis. For the patient, this provides reassurance and speeds up the care process.

Ultrasound can correct 50% of diagnoses during a consultation.

A unique partnership to bridge the gap between training and clinical practice

Ultrasound is a “operator-dependent” medical imaging modality. The accuracy and completeness of the diagnosis depend on the practitioner’s ability to perform the correct maneuvers with the probe, combined, of course, with a thorough interpretation of the images.

Mastering ultrasound cannot be done on the fly: it must be learned, practiced, and refined. It is precisely for this reason that InSimo and echOpen pleased to announce a partnership that creates a natural and seamless bridge between training (the diSplay U/S simulator) and hands-on practice (the echOpen probe) of clinical ultrasound procedures in the field.

On the one hand, InSimo offers diSplay U/S: a high-fidelity online ultrasound simulator developed in partnership with numerous medical experts to provide hands-on ultrasound training through approximately 100 exercises and patient cases, both healthy and pathological. With no hardware requirements and accessible from any connected computer, diSplay U/S already has more than 20,000 users worldwide.

In addition, echOpen the echOpen probe, a tri-frequency clinical ultrasound probe. It is used to obtain ultrasound images of organs, blood vessels, and other internal anatomical structures for diagnostic purposes. The echOpen probe is used with a mobile app that allows users to control the probe, view images, and record and store them.

These complementary, innovative solutions work together. They support healthcare professionals from training through to the daily practice of ultrasound, with a shared goal: to make this key skill more accessible through compact, affordable tools that can be applied to any everyday situation.

Ultrasound is still rarely used by general practitioners in France. While in Germany about 45% of general practitioners use it in their clinical practice, it is estimated that fewer than 10% of French doctors use it.*

echOpen InSimo are joining forces to offer specialized packages that allow customers to take full advantage of the complementary nature of their solutions. As part of this partnership, customers of each partner have access to reciprocal preferential offers: a €100 (including tax) credit on an annual subscription to diSplay U/S for purchasers of an echOpen probe, and a €160 (including tax) discount on an echOpen probe for new annual subscribers to diSplay U/S.

InSimo

InSimo has been developing medical simulation software for surgical and medical training since 2013. “Never try it on a patient for the first time”: that is the goal of medical simulation training—to provide medical students with learning opportunities that allow them to practice without putting patients at risk.

InSimo's expertise in interactive biomechanical simulation, which stems from academic research, is complemented by numerous collaborations with the medical community, the result of its long-standing integration within Strasbourg's university hospitals.

echOpen

echOpen a startup whose mission is to make clinical ultrasound accessible to all healthcare professionals and to play an active role in improving public health. echOpen co-founded by Dr. Mehdi Benchoufi, PhD, Olivier de Fresnoye, and Dr. Pierre Bourrier. Its solution, the echOpen probe, is designed and manufactured in France.

Versatile, reliable, and effective, the echOpen probe connects to any smartphone or tablet to enhance clinical examinations in any setting. Complemented by secure, educational digital services, the echOpen solution echOpen as indispensable as the stethoscope.

Quotes

echOpen InSimo share a common goal: to make ultrasound accessible to as many healthcare professionals as possible around the world! I am very pleased with this first partnership, which allows us to integrate simulator-based training into the support we provide to echOpen probe owners in their practice. I am convinced that making ultrasound more widely available can only be achieved through accessible equipment and a massive investment in training. By joining forces, echOpen InSimo are providing a high-quality, concrete solution to this public health challenge.”

Pierre-Jean Bensoussan, CEO of InSimo

“Clinical ultrasound marks a major advancement in medical practice: it enhances the clinical examination with imaging, right at the patient’s bedside and at the very moment a decision is being made. For this tool to become truly accessible to all healthcare providers, we need both a system that is accessible and easy to integrate into daily practice, and robust support in learning the procedure. This is the very purpose of this partnership between echOpen InSimo: to bridge the gap between simulation-based training and hands-on practice with a real probe, in order to help our colleagues master clinical ultrasound in a gradual, practical, and controlled manner. The stakes are high: to strengthen diagnostic capabilities, improve the quality of care, and more broadly support healthcare professionals through this transformation.”

Dr. Mehdi Benchoufi, CEO ofechOpen

*Sources: Clinical Guidelines—The Role of Targeted Ultrasound (CMG, 2024); thesis by R. Delvaux (University of Strasbourg, 2023).