Ben Glocker, PhD, of Kheiron Medical Technologies and Imperial College London, in a post on Twitter/X on a new study on AI for screening mammography.

How can advanced CT technology like dual-source imaging be made more widely available to hospitals that need it? In this Imaging Wire Show interview, we talked to Olivia Egan of Siemens Healthineers about new dual-source CT technology the company is introducing.

This will be the only Imaging Wire newsletter you’ll be receiving this week due to the Thanksgiving holiday. We’ll be reconnecting with you again on Monday November 27 with coverage of RSNA 2023, including articles and videos from McCormick Place. Be sure to follow along here as well as on our Twitter/X, LinkedIn, and YouTube channels. We hope you have a relaxing holiday, and see you in Chicago!

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Medical Imaging

Vendors Enter RSNA on Q3 Roll

As RSNA 2023 approaches, medical imaging vendors appear to be on a roll when it comes to financial results. In the weeks leading up to the meeting, companies have posted numbers that for the most part are strongly positive and appear to be leaving the bad old days of the COVID-19 pandemic behind.

Agfa – Between Agfa’s two imaging divisions, healthcare IT continues to outperform the radiology solutions business. Healthcare IT saw growth in revenue (3.3% to $67M) and EBITDA (44.3% to $6.4M), but revenue declined at radiology solutions (-5.7% to $127M) as did EBITDA (-21% to $10M). 

Canon – Canon Medical Systems saw firm revenues in Japan and Europe, which propelled the business unit to higher revenues (5% to $913M) while income before taxes edged up (0.3% to $46M). 

Fujifilm – Revenues tapered off slightly in Fujifilm’s healthcare business at constant currency rates (-1.9% to $1.66B) as a 12.4% decline in its contract manufacturing business offset 1.7% growth in medical systems. Operating income in healthcare slipped due to a one-time benefit in the year-ago quarter (-6.5% to $217M).

GE HealthCare – Revenue growth in its molecular imaging and CT businesses helped propel GE HealthCare’s revenue growth (5.4% to $4.82B), assisted by 13% growth in pharmaceutical diagnostics and a 9% increase in patient care solutions. Net income was lower (-23% to $375M). 

Guerbet – Strong revenues for the third quarter in Asia (+15%) and stability in the EMEA region (0.6%) helped counter a decline in the Americas (-5.2%), enabling Guerbet to turn in overall quarterly revenue growth at constant exchange rates (2.3% to $212M). The company expects sales of its Elucirem MRI contrast agent to ramp up in the fourth quarter. 

Hologic – The semiconductor shortage that had impacted Hologic in previous quarters eased, leading to a sharp jump in revenues in the company’s breast health business (27% to $353M). The rebound didn’t extend to Hologic’s overall net income as its net margin narrowed (-24% to $91M). 

Konica Minolta – A decline in sales of X-ray systems to hospitals in its core market of Japan and a slower US hospital market produced lower revenues in Konica Minolta’s healthcare division (-5% to $238M), and the business posted an operating loss (-$5.5M).

Philips – Philips rebounded in the most recent quarter, with revenues in its diagnosis and treatment division rising sharply after currency conversion thanks to double-digit growth in all businesses (14% to $2.39B). Operating income doubled (to $272M). 

RadNet – RadNet saw a double-digit jump in revenues (15% to $402M) while net income leaped ($17.5M vs. $668k). Revenue jumped 221% in the company’s AI segment, which made progress narrowing its EBITDA loss (-$2.5M vs. -$4.5M) on higher consumer adoption of its Enhanced Breast Cancer Detection offering.  

Siemens Healthineers – Siemens Healthineers closed its financial year with “outstanding” 8.3% revenue growth at constant exchange rates, including double-digit growth in its imaging business (11% to $3.62B) while adjusted EBIT edged up (2% to $812M). Its Varian radiation therapy business saw a strong recovery in revenue (30% to $1.1B) and adjusted EBIT (90% to $207M).

Varex – Growth in Varex’s industrial X-ray imaging business propelled the company to higher overall revenues even as revenues in its medical business fell (-9.8% to $164M). The medical division’s gross profit also slipped (-7% to $53M).

The Takeaway

Not every company was a winner in this last round of quarterly earnings, but at least the macroeconomic headwinds of the COVID-19 pandemic are fading. The fourth calendar quarter is typically radiology’s strongest period due to the impact of the RSNA conference on equipment purchasing, so let’s hope the momentum continues.

Learn About AI with CARPL.ai at RSNA 2023

Learn about the right approach to AI adoption at RSNA 2023. Discover how CARPL.ai and the platform approach enable seamless integration of radiology AI, create true clinical impact, and drive ROI.

Delighting Patients with Medical Image Sharing

A new platform from Clearpath now enables healthcare providers to delight their patients by sharing images and medical records digitally. Find out how it integrates simply into your practice.

The Wire

• Midlife Belly Fat Linked to Alzheimer’s: RSNA provided a sneak peak at several papers sure to make headlines in Chicago next week. In the first, researchers will show how MRI measurements of visceral fat around organs deep in the belly correlated with amyloid uptake on PET – an early sign of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers found the correlation in 32 cognitively normal people ages 40-60 with an average BMI of 32, and suggest that the results show how hidden fat can increase the risk of Alzheimer’s as early as 50 – up to 15 years before symptoms occur.

• CT-Guided Treatment for Long COVID: In another paper at RSNA 2023, researchers will discuss how they used a CT-guided interventional procedure called a stellate ganglion block to treat loss of smell associated with COVID-19. In 37 patients, interventional radiologists injected an anesthetic with a corticosteroid into the stellate ganglion on one side of the neck; 59% reported improved symptoms one week later, and three months later 49% of this group had symptom improvement. Also, a second injection improved symptoms in 86% of patients who responded to the first injection.

• Siemens Debuts Dual-Source CT Scanner: Siemens Healthineers has launched Somatom Pro.Pulse, a new dual-source CT scanner that makes dual-source imaging available to a broader range of facilities, such as rural and community hospitals. Pro.Pulse is based on energy-integrating detectors and uses air-cooled rather than water-cooled technology to keep installation and operating costs lower. Pro.Pulse requires 31% less room space for installation and has lower power consumption (25% when scanning and 22% in standby mode). 

• AI Boosts Breast Screening: In a paper in Nature Medicine, researchers described their use of the Mia version 2.0 algorithm from Kheiron Medical Technologies as an additional reader to standard double-reading screening mammography to flag suspicious cases among 16k women in Hungary. The protocol detected 0.7-1.6 additional cancers per 1k cases (13% relative increase), with 83% of the additional cancers being invasive, and its impact on unnecessary recalls was minimal (0-0.23%). The results indicate AI’s value in detecting more early cancers when added to double-reading screening protocols. 

• AI Improves DBT and 2D Screening: In a related study in European Radiology, researchers in Spain used ScreenPoint Medical’s Transpara version 1.7.0 AI algorithm to analyze 2D and DBT screening mammograms of 12k women. They used AI to support human double-reading, and saw a big jump in cancer detection rate per 1k exams (9 vs. 5.8 cancers) while the recall rate edged up (6.1% vs. 5.4%). AI improved the cancer detection rate of DBT more than 2D (3.8 vs. 2.4 additional cancers detected).

• Riverain Partners with 3DR Labs: In an alliance to enable earlier detection of lung cancer, Riverain Technologies has partnered with 3D medical post-processing lab 3DR Labs. 3DR Labs will provide its customers with reports on images that have been processed with Riverain’s ClearRead CT with Clear Visual Intelligence, which suppresses vessels and other normal structures to provide an unobstructed view of the lungs and nodules. The reports will be provided within 3DR Labs’ existing workflow. 

• Canon Ramps Up Photon-Counting CT: Canon Medical Systems is accelerating its program to develop photon-counting CT (PCCT) technology. The company in April 2023 joined with two Japanese facilities to research the technology, and last week announced additional relationships with Hiroshima University in Japan and Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands. Both facilities will begin clinical evaluations of PCCT in early 2024, with the goal of “promoting the rapid commercial application” of PCCT after that. 

• MinXRay Launches Ultrasound Probes: Portable X-ray manufacturer MinXray is adding a line of portable wireless ultrasound probes to its product portfolio. The company sees the new probes as extending its reach into new uses like home health screening, obstetrics, vascular imaging, and other clinical applications. Probes available range from triple-head color probes to biplane endocavity transducers, and all can be connected to Apple and Android devices for image display.  

• GE Renews Alliance with UW-Madison: GE HealthCare and the University of Wisconsin-Madison have renewed for another 10 years their strategic alliance in the development of biomedical technology. Over the past decade, GE and UW-Madison have collaborated on over 130 research studies on imaging technologies like MRI and CT; the university is an evaluation site for GE’s photon-counting CT technology, for example. The new alliance expands the relationship to include the delivery of personalized and quality healthcare, such as through theranostics.   

• Autonomous AI Boosts Productivity: In a study in Nature of ophthalmologists in Bangladesh (stay with us here), an autonomous AI algorithm that analyzes retinal images for signs of diabetic eye disease boosted clinician productivity by 40%. The findings could have relevance for radiology as autonomous AI algorithms move toward clinical use. The 40% figure is also comparable to the 44% workload reduction found in the MASAI study, in which AI was used in place of a second reader for screening mammograms in Sweden. 

• Carestream Adds Workflow Tool to DR: Carestream Health is planning to showcase a new Smart Room Assist feature on its DRX-Compass and DRX-Evolution digital radiography systems at RSNA 2023. Smart Room Assist uses AI-based technology to streamline workflow and enable more consistent image capture, and is pending 510(k) clearance. Carestream is also planning to show the DRX-Rise mobile X-ray system that debuted earlier in 2023, as well as Horizon, an affordable analog X-ray unit. 

• USEI Acquired, Becomes Lumin: Medical display manufacturer US Electronics (USEI) has been acquired by professional staffing firm Intellectt, which has rebranded USEI as Lumin Innovations. Intellectt has been targeting the healthcare industry for expansion, with USEI its seventh deal in life sciences/healthcare in the last two years. Lumin plans to highlight a 5MP diagnostic monitor for DBT and mammography applications at next week’s RSNA 2023 meeting.

• Cleerly Launches AI CVD Trial: Cleerly is launching perhaps the first large-scale randomized imaging AI trial, as it seeks to prove that AI-guided cardiovascular care reduces heart attacks. The five-year TRANSFORM trial aims to enroll 7.5k patients (100-200 US sites) who have CVD risk factors, but not heart disease. The investigative arm will receive treatments based on results from Cleerly’s investigational AI-based plaque staging system at baseline and 24 months, and the usual care arm will be treated based on their CVD risk factors.

A Trusted Partner for Your Move to the Cloud

Are you looking for a trusted partner to help you transition imaging to the cloud? Join Change Healthcare at RSNA 2023 Booth #7318 and discover how they are revolutionizing enterprise imaging.

Celebrating Five Revolutionary Years

At RSNA 2023, United Imaging will be celebrating five years of commercial operations and over a decade of investment in the US. Learn about United’s passion for change and see the company’s full range of products across imaging modalities at Booth #4100.

A Trusted Partner for Your Move to the Cloud

Are you looking for a trusted partner to help you transition imaging to the cloud? Join Change Healthcare at RSNA 2023 Booth #7318 and discover how they are revolutionizing enterprise imaging.

Meet Riverain at RSNA 2023

Stop by Riverain Technologies at Booth #4757 at RSNA 2023 for an espresso and a chance to win Apple Airpod Pros or an Apple iPad Pro, and learn about the latest ClearRead updates and news. Schedule an appointment today.

The Resource Wire

• Visit Intelerad at RSNA 2023: Join Intelerad at RSNA 2023 for a Lunch & Learn educational panel at 12 pm Monday November 27 in Room S501 to explore why health equity is in radiology’s lane, moderated by Geraldine McGinty, MD. Register today.

• Clarity, Speed, and Confidence in MRI: Don’t miss SpinTech MRI’s RSNA 2023 session at 2 pm Monday November 27 with James Backstrom, MD, who will share how he drove MRI efficiency for a busy radiology department by utilizing the company’s Stage platform.

• The Journey to Cloud-Based PACS: Radiology is looking closely at cloud-based PACS as an alternative to on-premises digital image management. Learn about providers who have made the switch with Visage Imaging in this white paper from Signify Research. 

• Ignite Your AI Strategy at RSNA 2023: Visit the Bayer AI Visionary Theater at RSNA 2023 to hear from Calantic Digital Solutions and Blackford Analysis teams on how to ignite your AI imaging strategy. Reserve your spot today. 

• Echo AI Hits the High Notes in OPERA Study: New results from the OPERA study show how Us2.ai’s echo AI solution improved heart failure screening in the NHS, reducing echo waiting times from 12 months to under 6 weeks. Find out more in this article.

• Ease Your Fracture Detection Burden: Gleamer is dedicated to pioneering the future of medical imaging. Book a demo at RSNA 2023 to see the company’s BoneView AI solution in action and experience how it can ease your fracture detection burden. 

• Unwind at RSNA 2023 with Medality: Unwind at RSNA 2023 with Medality at Booth #3139 in the South Hall. Network with their esteemed faculty, experience new courses and fellowships, and savor drinks and mini-bites from 2-5 pm on Tuesday November 28. 

• The Immense Potential of Photon-Counting CT: Early adopters of photon-counting CT impacted patient care by performing scans that were previously impossible. Check out this Siemens Healthineers resource of peer-reviewed papers showing the immense potential of photon-counting CT.

• Improving Outcomes with AI Workflow Orchestration: What does an AI-infused workflow orchestrator do? Join Linda Bagley of Merge by Merative at the RSNA AI Showcase Theater on Monday November 27 at 2 pm to learn how infusing insights from imaging AI applications and surfacing patient information from the EMR with NLP are enabling better outcomes.

• Get Prepared for RSNA 2023: Enlitic plans to showcase its cutting-edge solutions at RSNA 2023, including data standardization tools, innovative use cases, and compelling case studies. Prepare for your conference by scheduling a time with Enlitic today. 

• Learn How AI Can Help at RSNA 2023: AI can help your radiology practice in a variety of applications, from detecting pulmonary nodules on chest CT to improving echocardiography readings. Learn more from AI developers on the Blackford Platform at RSNA 2023. 

• Rethinking Image Exchange to Deliver the Quadruple Aim: Join PocketHealth at this RSNA Lunch & Learn and hear how industry leaders have improved patient experiences, retention, and operational efficiencies. Register for free!

• Learn about Subtle Solutions: How can Subtle Medical’s advanced solutions like SubtleMR and SubtlePET – and upcoming SubtleSYNTH launch – improve image quality, workflow efficiency, and patient care? Find out in this RSNA 2023 Lunch & Learn session at 12 pm Tuesday November 28. 

• Next-Generation Radiology Reporting: Join the conversation in this webinar recording and hear from PACS administrator Griff R. Van Dusen of Memorial Health System how Nuance PowerScribe One’s next-generation reporting experience helps streamline workflow and improve report quality so radiologists can get more done in less time. 

• New Frontiers in Breast Screening at RSNA 2023: Join GE HealthCare to explore new frontiers in breast cancer screening in this discussion of contrast mammography and the CMIST trial, presented by Christopher E. Comstock, MD, of Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Join on-site at Booth #7326 Innovation Theater or online.