A robot may soon be handling patients' ultrasounds in a Wisconsin health system
Imagine walking into an exam room for a scan your doctor ordered and being greeted not by a person, but by a robot. For patients in Wisconsin, this may soon be the case.
That’s thanks to a new imaging innovation that goes by the name of CODI—a robot that sonographers can operate remotely to carry out ultrasound exams on patients from afar. CODI is a product of Canada-based robotics company Cobionix. It comes complete with eyes, a long arm and artificial intelligence-enabled capabilities.
Cobionix is partnering with TitleTownTech and Prevea Health to work on safely deploying CODI into clinical settings. The goal is to use the robot to conduct abdominal ultrasounds, monitor pregnancies and evaluate other abdominal organs for signs of abnormalities.
CODI will still require the guidance of a sonographer who has been trained to use the device remotely. Experts involved in its development are hopeful it could help address issues related to accessibility for patients. By deploying CODI in rural areas, patients who might have previously had to drive an hour or more for their exam will be able to complete their imaging much closer to home.
"This will improve access so that more people can get this ultrasound technology where they need it when they need it," TitletownTech Managing Director Jill Enos told Green Bay Press Gazette.
The technology also could aid in resolving staffing issues. Although the vacancy rate for ultrasound positions is shrinking, there is still a shortage of qualified techs to fill open roles. According to a recent report from the American Society of Radiologic Technologists, approximately 12.4% of open sonographer roles in the U.S. went unfilled in 2024.
While CODI offers a potential solution to these issues, experts still aren’t quite ready to introduce it to patients. That will likely come to fruition some time in 2026.
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.