The Case for a Portable Open-Source 3D Ultrasound: Issues, Benefits, and Challenges

Ultrasound diagnostic imaging is an essential aspect of modern healthcare, but barriers such as cost, technical training, and access to medical facilities impede global adoption. To tackle these factors, the need for a portable open-source three-dimensional ultrasound system is discussed. Such a system, equipped with artificial intelligence, can provide unparalleled global accessibility to life-saving affordable medical diagnostic care as well as create copious amounts of data needed for training automated systems; however, it may also carry disadvantages. This paper assesses the considerations for and against an open- source approach and draws insights from successful open-source hardware projects in the past.