Chest abnormality detection software given CE mark

Teleglobal Consulting, UK, has received Class 2A CE marking for its AI-based chest abnormality detection software. The company makes AI products under the brand "iDoc.ai".

iDoc-X can detect thirteen different abnormalities, including COVID-19. Other disease classes are: pneumothorax, pneumonia, TB, scars, opacities, nodule, cavity, cardiomegaly, consolidation, fibrosis, blunted CP and pleural effusion. The software integrates seamlessly with radiology workflow, detects abnormalities from X-rays and provides "AI Suggestions" in the clinician's worklist. Radiologists can prioritise worklist based on suggested abnormalities.

The software is meant to improve the quality & speed of radiology diagnosis and reduce operational costs associated with radiology outsourcing and second opinion. In addition, the software allows radiology setups to use "one-solution" for most common chest abnormalities.

Since early 2018, iDoc.ai has been progressively working with healthcare partners in India and South East Asia for pilot deployments for iDoc-X. Recent ISO 13485 certification and CE marking allow the company to operate commercially across the EU under the European Union Medical Device Regulation (MDR), and many other countries worldwide.

Rahul Tarar, MD, iDoc.ai, said: "CE marking is a very encouraging milestone for us, endorsing our vision of responsible AI and reflecting our passion for quality and patient safety. Our emphasis on regulatory affairs will continue with USFDA and UKCA soon.”

The company's executive team believes: "Globally, research on AI-based chest X-ray analysers has progressed well during the last few years. However, as per the University of Toronto, the Vector Institute, and MIT, most AI solutions out in the international market currently are biased towards gender, age, race or socioeconomic status. Research shows that most algorithms are less certain to work well for racial groups from underrepresented countries. The outcomes are often biased towards the specific countries and socioeconomic backgrounds where data for training is gathered from."

Moving forward, the company aims to invest more in the elimination or mitigation of 'bias' completely, enhancing accuracy and creating the world-first bias-free AI solution for medical imaging.

Tarar added: "We very much understand the importance of solution's - reliability & accuracy, and of our marketing efforts for commercial success. Hence, we are actively seeking funding possibilities for further investment into R&D and to achieve quicker time-to-market.”