Earlier this month, handheld ultrasound specialist Clarius Mobile Health announced it would be bringing a capability dubbed Voice Controls to its ultrasound scanners.

The new feature, which is available to all customers on Clarius’ Membership subscription service, allows users to control a number of imaging parameters with only their voice, enabling their hands to remain free to perform imaging examinations. The tool, which is powered by AI, allows users to adjust settings such as gain and depth, freeze images, switch imaging modes and to capture images and videos.

It is not the first time voice control capabilities have been offered on ultrasound devices, but does it make sense for Clarius’ customers, or is it just a gimmick?