Robotic ultrasound-maker Dopl raises over $6M as it seeks FDA clearance
A medical technology company that specializes in the development of remote scanning capabilities has raised $6.3 million in seed funding to advance its robotic ultrasound platform.
Bothell, Washington-based Dopl Technologies announced the funding on Monday, citing support from more than a dozen firms, including SpringTide Ventures, WRF Capital, Tacoma Venture Fund (pre-seed lead), HeartX, Transform Health Ventures, Precursor Ventures and other early investors. The company indicated that the funding will accelerate its efforts to achieve clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for its imaging ecosystem, which includes the Traverse remote robotic ultrasound scanner, the Dopl Connect data platform and the SonoFlex workflow management solution.
Together, the technologies enable sonographers to perform diagnostic ultrasound examinations from remote locations across multiple healthcare sites using existing hospital infrastructure. The company said the platform could help address workforce shortages and improve access to imaging in rural and underserved areas where patients often face long travel times or delays in care.
“Our outstanding team is energized and now capitalized to move quickly through the regulatory process to deliver reliable, remote robotic ultrasound to patients who today must often travel hours to receive essential care,” Ryan James, PhD, CEO and co-founder of Dopl Technologies, said in a news release on the funding. “This is a critical step toward providing specialty care anywhere through telerobotic and autonomous care delivery, bridging the healthcare divide that affects tens of millions of people in the United States alone.”
The announcement also highlighted the company's existing CareBridge service, which provides hospitals with traveling sonographers, while the robotic platform makes its way through the regulatory review process. According to the Dopl, participating health systems have seen ultrasound wait times decrease by as much as 90%; those sites are expected to be among the first to pilot the telerobotic imaging platform once it is cleared by the FDA.
“Dopl is primed to deliver a cost-efficient, revenue-generating model for health systems, enabling skilled sonographers to work from home, allowing more patients to receive care when and where they need it most,” added Austin Walters, co-founder and managing partner of SpringTide Ventures. “Dopl's combination of proven clinical traction, innovative, integrated technologies, and an experienced team positions it to lead the coming wave of robotic care delivery, and we believe it will democratize how and where imaging is available.”
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In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.