The image analysis company, iCAD, launched its new computer aided detection solution for tomosynthesis, PowerLook Tomo Detection at RSNA in Chicago. Although not yet cleared for use in the U.S., it has received CE mark and is being used by five facilities in Europe.
"Everyone is aware that the major downfall of tomosynthesis is that it takes a lot longer to read," Stacey Stevens, executive vice president of iCAD, told HCB News. "The main value proposition of the product is the improvement in reading time for the radiologist."
PowerLook Tomo Detection reviews every slice and analyzes where cancer may be present, and highlights it for the radiologist. That's unlike the company's 2-D CAD solution that places circles and squares around the lesion.
"It's really an improvement in workflow, but it doesn't compromise sensitivity so there is no decrease in cancer detection," said Stevens.
The solution operates on an algorithm that utilizes artificial intelligence and deeper learning. They took thousands of cases and trained the algorithm on how to detect suspicious patterns that may indicate cancer.
At the meeting, two studies were presented by European hospitals that investigated the use of PowerLook Tomo Detection. One uncovered that the concurrent use of CAD results in a 29.2 percent faster reading time compared to reading without CAD, and the other study found that it resulted in a 23.5 percent faster reading time.
In the U.S., CAD has become the standard of care for 2-D, and Stevens believes that it will also become the standard for 3-D in the future. The company is expecting to receive FDA approval in the first quarter of next year.
The company also showcased its other PowerLook solutions for mammography, density assessment, and CTC colon polyp detection at the show.
