Echovation Challenge 2017

Following the inaugural launch of Echovation Challenge in 2016, the American Society of Echocardiography (ASE) has renewed its mission of accelerating innovation, shaping the future of cardiovascular ultrasound. Once again, this ASE initiative provides a platform and forum for ASE members and others to offer ground-breaking solutions to the challenges that face cardiovascular ultrasound.

Challenge 2017: Streamlining Diagnostics to Augment Medical Decision Making

Cardiovascular ultrasound is an exceptional clinical tool used to help provide insight into all aspects of cardiovascular disease. With the increasing focus being placed on “shared decision making” and “personalized medicine,” it will become ever more crucial for clinicians to quickly and accurately diagnose patients, so that targeted, effective, and personalized treatments can be decided upon and begun.

The Challenge Objective

To showcase innovations in cardiovascular ultrasound technology including imaging acquisition hardware, software, workflow strategies, interpretation and decision modeling that will speed the time to diagnosis and optimize time spent in patient care for a variety of cardiovascular diseases. Such innovations may have already been adopted or may be in development in echocardiography laboratories and medical institutions throughout the United States and across the world. The Echovation Challenge is designed to encourage, spotlight, and ultimately promulgate advances in the cardiovascular field. In addition, ASE hopes to instigate connections in the field, linking researchers, industry, labs, engineers and thought-leaders to share information and educate one another.

The Challenge Breakthrough

ASE hopes to discover and promote the best practices and processes that have the potential to enhance the diagnostic process in cardiovascular ultrasound while maintaining excellence in patient care. To discover how to best utilize human and capital resources along with the incorporation of novel technologies, including but not limited to probe design, image visualization, computational modeling, myocardial mechanics, contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), data analytics, miniaturized ultrasound devices, smartphone and mobile imaging technologies, and therapy planning.

What You Can Do To Get Engaged

• Click the “Follow" button above to be notified of any status updates to the challenge.
• Click "Pre-register" above to pre-register for the 2017 challenge. You will be notified of any status updates and be able to create an entry to the challenge when it opens.
• Click on the "Share" button or social media icons above to share this challenge with anyone you know that has a passion for discovery.
• Leave a comment in the Forum to join the conversation, ask questions, provide feedback or connect with other innovators.

Submission Guidelines

Submissions must present an original idea or offer an innovative adaptation or approach to a previously implemented idea that relates directly to the cardiovascular ultrasound field. All submissions should have evidence of at least partial execution of concept. Such evidence may include research findings, documentation of time/cost savings or improved outcomes, a prototype of a program or device, or any other relevant information.

Submissions can include, but are not limited to, the following: a technical or novel proposal, a concept paper or implemented echo practice re-design, pilot projects that are pragmatic and implementable that offer an innovative approach to improving efficiency in echocardiography laboratories. Submissions are encouraged to be team-based projects—e.g., projects delivered by a partnership between a device manufacturer and an academic lab or a private practice office and a software developer or a team of researchers working with a lab(s) to demonstrate a novel idea.

Competitors must document and deliver their solution by:

1. REQUIRED: Presenting a written document, no longer than 2 pages with content to include:

• Introduction (outline the problem)
• Solution or proposed solution
• Outcome measures, such as research findings
• What was the most interesting or surprising thing you learned in the process?
• What were / are the major roadblocks or difficulties you faced during the process?
• How will this process or product change the field of CV ultrasound?

     2. RECOMMENDED (Optional): Submitting a short 2-3 minute “pitch” video, in which you and your team pitch your project. This video will be evaluated on its ability to creatively and effectively tell your story, describe your innovation, and persuade viewers of its potential impact. (As a general rule a short narration of up to 500 words can be prepared and presented in the video). 

We have prepared this video as an example: 

And here is a nice video from a different HeroX challenge as well: 

BOTTOM LINE: Your video doesn't have to be fancy, just tell us about your proposal in an engaging and dynamic way!

Additional Rules

The Challenge is open to all members of the American Society of Echocardiography and to the public at large. Submissions can be from a single individual or a group of individuals, although ASE strongly encourages innovators to work in teams. Teams could be comprised of a variety of stakeholders, including but not limited to physicians, sonographers, nurses, industry affiliates, and hospital administrators; we encourage you to be creative! At least one non-industry ASE member must be a part of the challenge submission group.

If you are not a current ASE member, please click here to learn about the benefits of ASE membership. ASE’s membership is open to anyone interested in cardiovascular ultrasound including engineers, industry, hospital administrators, scientists, etc.

To be eligible to compete, you must comply with all the terms of the Challenge as defined in the Challenge-Specific Agreement (available during Registration).

Registration and Submissions

ASE will open the registration/submission period on October 19, 2016. All competitors/teams must be fully registered by Feb. 20, 2017 at 10:58 p.m. ET to be eligible for the prize. No registrations will be accepted after this date and no changes to Teams may be made after this date.

All submission materials must be submitted online on or before February 20, 2017 at 11:59 PM ET. No submissions will be accepted after this time. Incomplete submissions will not be accepted. All submissions must be received online, via the Challenge website.

Challenge Guidelines and deadlines are subject to change. Registered competitors will receive notification when changes are made; however, we highly encourage you to visit the Challenge Site often to review updates.

How to Win the Challenge

Depending on the number and quality of submissions received, the judges will select up to six semi-finalist teams, who may be asked to submit additional materials for consideration.  These semi-finalists will be invited to present in front of an audience and live judging panel on Sunday, June 4, 2017 at the Baltimore Convention Center, during ASE’s 28th Annual Scientific Sessions in Baltimore, MD.  This live session will be interactive and feature a large viewing audience.

Other Details

No cost is associated with registering for this event.  All submissions agree to pay their own expenses to the ASE Scientific Sessions and underwrite any related presentation materials, should they be selected for presentation.  ASE will promote the finalists in their final program materials and to the media.

Evaluation & Awards

The prize

ASE will award three (3) prizes based on the most innovative, creative ideas and implementable plans, totaling $10,000. Winners and prizes will be determined by a combination of the Evaluation Panel and audience input; details of which will be provided at a later date.

The three cash prizes to be awarded are:

• 1st Prize -  $5,000
• 2nd Prize - $3,000
• 3rd Prize - $2,000

In addition all three winners will be announced in the Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography (JASE), in media releases, via ASE’s social media channels, and in ASE member communications. One or more of the winning proposals may also be featured in a future issue of ASE’s ECHO magazine, distributed to all members and at multiple medical conferences.

The evaluation panel reserves the right to provide mentorship to promising submissions even if not selected for a monetary prize.

Evaluation Panel

The Phase 1 Evaluation Panel will include a variety of qualified individuals from the ASE membership. This panel will be responsible for evaluating all components of each submission. It will have the authority and discretion to select up to six semi-finalists.

The Live Evaluation Panel may include some or all members of the Phase 1 Evaluation Panel, as well as additional qualified individuals from various medical and non-medical backgrounds. Evaluation Panel decisions and winners are final, binding and shall not be subject to appeal or change.

Evaluation Criteria

Winning submissions will describe an innovative idea to streamline cardiovascular ultrasound diagnosis in some way. Concepts may involve various new innovations including but not limited to the following: 

• New or underutilized imaging modalities such as 3D echocardiography, strain imaging, contrast enhanced ultrasound 
• New approaches in Big Data or computational modeling
• New display designs  
• Cloud computing platforms
• New mobile health technologies with integrated ultrasound imaging
• New imaging and sensor based technologies
• Ultrasound guided 3D printing
• Ultrasound related technologies for structural heart disease
• Ultrasound guidance for targeted therapies

*All concepts must incorporate cardiovascular ultrasound in the proposal.

The following scorecard will be used to assess competitor submissions.