TopMedTalk AI: AI-Augmented Ultrasound for Regional Anaesthesia

In Scotland at St Andrews, TopMedTalk AI hosts Andy Cumpstey and James Bowness discuss AI in regional anaesthesia with Bernard Victor Delvaux, staff anesthesiologist at the Centre Hospitalier Privé Claude Galien in Quincy-sous-Sénart, France. Bowness describes a regional anaesthesia course using AI-augmented ultrasound imaging, augmented reality simulated needling, and cadaveric ultrasound with real needle insertion. Delvaux discusses his research in AI-assisted nerve recognition, explains supervised model development through large-scale ultrasound image annotation for GE Healthcare's C-NERF, and they explore how to evaluate AI beyond pixel-based metrics toward clinically oriented utility and safety, including differences in usefulness for trainees versus experts. They discuss model design across anatomical sites, the need for diverse training and external validation data, risks from poor image acquisition, and barriers such as trust and autonomy. Delvaux outlines priorities for ESRA's AI working group, focusing on AI literacy and faster, reliable evaluation guidance. -- The 2026 International Practicum on Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing will be held at the Balmer Lawn Hotel in Brockenhurst, UK, from September 16th to 18th this year. It is organised by iPOETTS , the international perioperative testing and training society. Come and join us at this premier educational event designed for clinicians, scientists, and healthcare professionals interested in sport, exercise, and perioperative medicine. This is an International Perioperative Testing and Training Society accredited event so when you attend you can get your iPOETTS accreditation, showing that you are a practitioner who has reached a high, standardized level of competence in performing and interpreting Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing (CPET) for patients preparing for major surgery. Go now to http://www.ebpom.org