Could a simple ultrasound replace costly MRIs for fatty liver diagnosis?
NCT ID NCT07192159
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study is testing a new ultrasound technology called DeepUSFF to measure fat in the liver of people with metabolic fatty liver disease (MASLD). Researchers will compare the ultrasound results to MRI scans, which are the current gold standard. If the ultrasound works well, it could offer a quicker, cheaper, and more widely available way to diagnose and track this common liver condition.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Quantitative ultrasound (DeepUSFF) device
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could provide a faster, cheaper, and more accessible way to diagnose and monitor fatty liver disease without needing an MRI.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study (62 people) focused on accuracy, not treatment. The technology may not prove reliable enough to replace MRI in all cases.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 62 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jun 2025
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2026
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Patients with clinically suspected MASLD based on abnormal ultrasound or liver function tests requiring liver ultrasound or MRI examination * BMI ≥25 kg/m² or waist circumference \>90 cm (male) or \>80 cm (female), suggesting high likelihood of fatty liver disease * Living liver transplant donors requiring preoperative liver ultrasound or MRI examination * Age ≥18 years * Understanding and signing informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * Significant alcohol consumption in the past 2 years: Male: ≥30-60g/day average alcohol intake Female: ≥20-50g/day average alcohol intake -Chronic liver disease: Histological diagnosis of chronic liver disease HBsAg positive Anti-HCV positive Other suspected chronic liver diseases -Liver failure: Serum albumin \<3.2 g/dL INR \>1.3 Direct bilirubin \>1.3 mg/dL * History of esophageal varices, ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, or acute biliary obstruction * History of liver cancer diagnosis or treatment * History of liver surgery * Pregnancy * Inability to obtain adequate liver ultrasound imaging: Patient cooperation impossible Inadequate image acquisition as determined by investigator -Inability to obtain adequate liver MRI imaging: Patient cooperation impossible Severe obesity preventing MRI examination MRI contraindications (cardiac pacemaker, etc.) Other factors preventing adequate imaging as determined by investigator
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
2 sites in 2 countries. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Seoul National University Hospital
RECRUITINGSeoul, Seoul, 03080, South Korea
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southwoods imaging (Northeastern Ohio Radiology Research and Education Fund )
RECRUITINGBoardman, Ohio, 44512, United States
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