RE: https://searchhealthit.techtarget.c9 Sep 2018 09:35
They have various foci and levels of capability in single versus multiple clinical areas, single versus multimodality and differing emphasis on radiologist workflow. For example, Ultromics focuses on improving cardiovascular disease diagnostics specifically using echocardiograms, while Zebra Medical's capabilities include liver, lung, cardiovascular and bone disease. In addition to its diagnostic capabilities, AIDoc Medical provides radiologist workflow enhancement by previewing the clinical data for the radiologist that's most relevant for interpretation.
All that said, we likely have a few more years before AI-enhanced imaging tools become mainstream. KLAS Research published a report in February 2018 called "Artificial Intelligence in Imaging 2018: Early Adopters Speak Out." In the report, KLAS spoke with 81 healthcare organizations -- primarily large, integrated delivery networks -- about each organization's early use of and plans for AI in imaging. Perhaps not surprising to many industry observers, 53% of respondents had no current plans to use AI in imaging, and only 17% of respondents were live or piloting AI. Of the 30% of respondents that were planning to use AI, only 21% expected to go live in less than a year, while 41% had go-live plans for the next year or two and 15% expected adoption to take five-plus years.
Emerging technologies
Venture investors interested in diagnostic imaging typically look for emerging technologies, and while they accounted for only 12% of the medical imaging market transactions, the three emerging tech companies funded within the period I researched all use imaging technologies in new and creative ways:
Analytics 4 Life wants to enhance cardiac imaging and the assessment of coronary artery diseases. The company takes intrinsic signals emitted by the heart and, with AI, measures and mathematically models those signals using phase space tomography -- a field of math and physics that models dynamic systems and allows the company's imaging process to be completed without radiation, contrast agents or cardiac stress.
Ortho Kinematics created a new diagnostic tool for the assessment of spinal instability and alignment, which was historically measured by hand from static x-rays. The tool, called Vertebral Motion Analysis (VMA), uses fluoroscopic imaging during controlled patient movement -- while VMA devices assist patients through the motion of a spine bend -- combined with additional image processing and motion analysis. With this new technology, Ortho Kinematics claims the ability to increase sensitivity in detecting lumbar radiographic instability by 500%.
An interactive virtual reality solution, EchoPixel uses existing DICOM image data to allow clinicians to create and interact with life-size holographic objects of patient anatomy for diagnostics, surgical planning and interventional radiology.
Investments aim at interoperability, value-based care
Rounding out our activity, two stra