We’re pleased to announce that, in partnership with researchers at the École de technologie supérieure (ETS) in Montreal, Clarius has received funding from the National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to conduct research on using ultrasound in speech therapy.

The collaboration will involve the imaging of children to capture and analyze data related to the movement of the mouth and tongue using Clarius’ patented ultrasound scanner. Traditional ultrasound devices have been difficult to use and are expensive for speech therapists. While mobile solutions have recently become available, they suffer from poor image quality and lack the high frame rates required for imaging the fast motion of the tongue. The Clarius C7 scanner, equipped with custom speech therapy workflows, can image the tongue at over 50 frames per second. It can also be equipped to simultaneously capture a video of the patient speaking along with the ultrasound images.

Ultrasound has shown that it can be an effective tool for providing feedback to children with speech impediments, as well as a potential diagnostic tool for speech researchers,” says Dr. Catherine Laporte, principal investigator on the project. “We are excited about this new collaboration with Clarius, given their product’s unique capabilities and portability. We expect this research to help shine additional light on how high-quality and highly portable ultrasound can be used as an aid in speech therapy.”