Connected health and AI provider combine to support lung and thoracic diagnosis

Connected healthcare specialist Wellbeing Software has announced a partnership with US-based artificial intelligence (AI) provider Imbio to provide a way for NHS organisations to use AI to support the diagnosis of patients with chronic lung and thoracic conditions.

Algorithms developed by Imbio enable clinicians to analyse a patient’s lung density and texture. This includes using advanced computer vision to transform a standard chest CT into a detailed map of lung textures in order to identify cases of interstitial lung disease (ILD) and other fibrotic conditions.

Graham Ridgway, CEO at Wellbeing Software, said: “We’re committed to giving NHS organisations the best choice when it comes to the adoption of AI and are pleased to welcome Imbio and its pioneering algorithms to the AI Connect Programme and our newly launched AI Market Place, which highlights the different applications of AI we are making available.

“Algorithms, such as those created by Imbio, have the ability to drastically improve clinical workloads and patient care, but this only becomes a reality when the technology is matched with existing workflows and practices. By enabling this we hope to make the roll-out of AI as simple as possible.”

The company also has additional algorithms currently at research stage, as well as partnerships with a number of leading clinics and universities, including the University of Michigan, Oregon Health & Science University and the prestigious Mayo Clinic, a US academic medical centre based in Rochester, Minnesota.

David Hannes, COO at Imbio, said: “More than one billion imaging studies are requested in the US and EU alone every year. But this explosion hasn’t come with the tools clinicians need to see and interpret all of the information in each patient’s images.

“With big data analysis and computer vision, our algorithms are able to turn standard medical images into rich visual maps of a patient’s condition and reports that provide detailed data on the type and extent of abnormalities found in the patient images. This enables clinicians to see hidden information in the images and drive data-based, personalised patient care decisions from diagnosis, to therapy tracking, to planning for procedures.

“Wellbeing Software’s understanding of radiology workflow within the NHS is unrivalled and their AI Connect platform will provide a quick way for trusts and organisations to see the benefits of our technology in action.”