Alimentiv Inc. and the International Bowel Ultrasound Group (IBUS) e.V. have added a training certificate to their clinical-trial partnership, aiming to expand the pool of professionals able to produce intestinal-ultrasound images for studies.
Alimentiv announced the program Oct. 15. Called IUS Standardized Training and Acquisition for Research, or IUS-STAR, it is designed for sonographers, radiologists and technologists involved in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) trials. The course pairs web-based lessons with practical scanning, case review and feedback on images. The partners say that guidance is intended to improve image quality and help scans meet trial protocols.
Alimentiv said its Notō Case Manager technology will be used to examine images and monitor quality. The company says the training could help sponsors prepare study sites sooner and widen the pool of sites equipped to use intestinal ultrasound. IBUS President Kerri Novak said intestinal ultrasound could make clinical-trial participation more accessible.
The organizations say their intestinal-ultrasound work in clinical trials has reached more than 34 countries since their partnership began in 2022.
The original agreement covered central intestinal-ultrasound readings for adult and pediatric IBD trials. In its 2022 announcement, Alimentiv said the service was expected to become available in the fourth quarter of that year.
The Oct. 15 announcement says participants can demonstrate proficiency through certification, but does not provide a course start date, duration, detailed assessment standards or fees. It names no next scheduled milestone for IUS-STAR.
