How a French Startup Is Turning Every Hospital Ultrasound Machine Into a Training Tool

DESKi has launched a product that could quietly reshape how hospitals teach cardiac ultrasound. Called HeartFocus Link, it turns any cart-based ultrasound system into a guided training station by overlaying real-time AI cues on the live image stream. The setup is simple: a tablet runs the software, an HDMI cable connects to the existing machine, and positioning prompts appear directly on the screen. No new hardware purchase required.

The timing matters. Between 2011 and 2021, U.S. ultrasound exam volume surged 55 percent to nearly 60 million, while the sonographer workforce grew just 44 percent. Training capacity expanded a mere 23 percent. The result is a persistent gap: only 8 percent of eligible hospitalized patients receive echocardiography, despite evidence it reduces mortality. Sonographer vacancy rates hit 16.7 percent in 2023 and remain above 12 percent.

HeartFocus Link addresses the bottleneck by making the installed base of cart-based systems — which still dominate hospital imaging fleets — accessible to more learners. The AI supports all 10 standard transthoracic views. Two features stand out: Auto Record saves clips when image quality reaches a threshold, and real-time scoring provides objective feedback instead of relying on instructor judgment. That frees expert sonographers from supervising every practice scan.

The company, founded in 2016 by brothers Bertrand and Olivier Moal, already has clinical data to back its approach. A peer-reviewed study in JACC: Advances showed nurses with no prior ultrasound experience could capture diagnostic-quality images of all 10 standard views. In one cohort, 100 percent of nurses succeeded on 100 percent of patients. Novice scans achieved over 85 percent agreement with expert readings on key parameters.

DESKi earned FDA clearance for its HeartFocus app in April 2025, along with a Predetermined Change Control Plan that streamlines future algorithm updates. The AI trained on more than 10 million data points. In April 2026, the company partnered with Inteleos to launch the first AI-specific cardiac point-of-care ultrasound certification.

Early availability targets medical schools, residency programs, and training centers. Clinical use on cart-based systems will follow once regulatory clearances expand. The current version supports education and practice only — not diagnostic decision-making.

Competitors like UltraSight have similar FDA clearances, and larger imaging vendors have deeper pockets. But DESKi’s strategy feels pragmatic: it leverages the equipment hospitals already own, at a moment when health systems are desperate to stretch personnel. An article from BriefGlance noted that 80 percent of clinicians cite lack of training as the top barrier to point-of-care ultrasound adoption. Traditional paths require 20 to 50 supervised scans for basic proficiency. HeartFocus Link compresses that timeline by supplying constant, objective feedback.

The company brands the full offering as an ecosystem spanning learning, certification, and earlier cardiac assessment. The bet is that starting with training builds user familiarity and data that later support diagnostic clearances. Whether it scales across thousands of hospitals depends on execution and partnerships. But the direction is clear: AI guidance is moving from specialized devices into the everyday equipment that fills hospital imaging suites.