Carlo Catalano, MD, president of ECR 2024, and animatronic robot Ameca in a conversation on the future of radiology in the meeting’s opening ceremony.

Imaging Wire Sponsors

Bayer  •  Blackford  •  CARPL.ai  •  Change Healthcare  •  Clearpath  •  Enlitic  •  GE HealthCare  •  Gleamer  •  Intelerad  •  Medality  •  Merge by Merative  •  Nuance  •  PocketHealth  •  Riverain Technologies  •  Siemens Healthineers  •  SpinTech MRI  •  TeraRecon  •  United Imaging  •  Us2.ai  •  Visage Imaging

Artificial Intelligence

Report from ECR 2024

ECR 2024 kicked off yesterday in Vienna, Austria, with European radiology professionals gathering to celebrate the field and demonstrate the latest in medical imaging research and technology. 

As we noted in last year’s coverage, ECR has bounced back strongly from the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

• While this year’s attendance numbers aren’t in yet, the rooms and halls of Austria Center Vienna appear to be just as crowded as in the pre-pandemic days.

In particular, the show’s opening ceremony on Wednesday evening was standing room only, with attendees delighting in friendly banter on the future of AI and radiology between congress president Carlo Catalano, MD, and Ameca, an AI-powered animatronic robot. 

From a content perspective, this year’s meeting continues a strong focus on AI.

Some highpoints from the first few days are as follows:

• Radiology’s analog-digital frontier was the subject of a fascinating Thursday plenary lecture by Annalise.ai Chief Medical Officer Rick Abramson, MD
• The future of chest X-ray screening in a world dominated by CT – and whether AI can save it – was debated in a special focus session
• Is value-based radiology more than just a vague idea as an alternative to work volume? 
• The number of European radiographers reading images and signing their own reports is growing and has become a viable career path
• What’s the break-even cost when using deep learning to analyze CT lung screening scans? It depends on how it’s used
• AI-assisted reading of CT lung cancer screening exams reduced costs 37% when used as a parallel reader and 73% as a first-reader 
• How can hospitals reduce waste and their environmental impact? 
• Use of the RadConnect communication tool eliminated 53% of radiologist in-person and phone interruptions
• A CT-first strategy for patients with chest pain was more effective than sending them straight to invasive angiography
• A review of AI safety and postmarket surveillance
• Researchers using Siemens Healthineers’ syngo.via Frontier software to analyze contrast CT chest scans were able to differentiate malignant and benign breast lesions (AUC=0.78)
• Early results from the 4-IN-THE-LUNG-RUN trial were presented showing the utility of opportunistic screening for cardiovascular disease from CT lung screening scans

The Takeaway
Based on the first two days, ECR 2024 is off to a great start. We’ll be featuring additional coverage in upcoming issues, so be sure to come back, and check out our YouTube channel and LinkedIn page for video highlights from the conference.

Learn about DeepHealth at ECR 2024

DeepHealth offers a portfolio of AI solutions for clinical applications ranging from lung to prostate to brain indications. Learn more about DeepHealth and its AI-driven breakthroughs in care delivery by scheduling a visit today at ECR 2024.

Best in KLAS PACS

Intelerad’s InSight PACS has been named Best in KLAS for UK and Ireland PACS by KLAS Research. Learn more about the solution that’s been adopted by over 250 healthcare providers across the UK and Ireland.

The Wire

• DeepHealth’s ECR Debut: RadNet’s AI subsidiary DeepHealth made its European debut at ECR 2024 this week, with the centerpiece of the launch a new distribution agreement with AI platform firm Incepto. The Incepto deal is a key part of the company’s strategy to rely on partners to penetrate new markets. DeepHealth COO and CTO Sham Sokka, PhD, explained DeepHealth’s value proposition as offering AI for outpatient population-based screening offered by RadNet sites, using AI algorithms for prostate, lung, and brain under the Saige branding unveiled late last year. 

• AI Registry’s New Branding: AIforRadiology – the European source for news and information about AI run by Dutch researcher Kicky van Leeuwen – has rebranded as Health AI Register. The site includes information on AI algorithms commercially available on the US and European markets, listing both FDA and CE Mark status. Van Leeuwen is also involved in Project AIR, which has been conducting head-to-head comparisons of AI algorithm performance. 

• TeraRecon’s ECR Launches: At this week’s ECR 2024, TeraRecon is launching three new offerings in its care suites line of AI solutions for the Eureka Clinical AI platform, covering cardiology, pulmonology, and neurology. The company is also announcing new partnerships for the EU market at the show: Gleamer for its BoneView and Chest View; Lucida Medical for its Pi MRI prostate solution; and Perspectum’s LiverMultiscan and MRCP+. TeraRecon is also launching a multimodality AI SaaS platform for oncology biomedical translational and clinical research, AI model development, and data management.

• Siemens Launches 1.5T MRI at ECR: Siemens Healthineers launched a new 1.5T MRI scanner called Magnetom Flow at this week’s ECR 2024. The system is a workhorse scanner with a 60cm bore and compact footprint that’s designed for low total cost of ownership, in part thanks to Siemens’ DryCool technology, which requires less than 1L of liquid helium for cooling and no quench pipe. Global sales are expected to start in mid-2024. Separately, Siemens debuted MiniTom kids, a miniature scanner mockup designed to help children prepare for CT, MRI, and PET/CT scans. 

• United Imaging Highlights AI at ECR: United Imaging is highlighting its activities in AI and imaging IT at this week’s ECR 2024, including uAI SAT, a smart annotation tool, and the next generation of the company’s uAI Pioneer Portal, a goggle-less 3D monitor that’s controlled by hand gestures for 3D surgical planning for thoracic, hepatobiliary, and urological surgeries. The company is also showcasing its uMR Jupiter 5T whole-body 5T MRI scanner (no CE Mark yet) and uAIFI for AI-powered MRI image enhancement.

• Bayer Doubles Down on Cardiac AI, Touts Gadoquatrane: Bayer is adding cardiac AI applications from Keya Medical and Circle Cardiovascular Imaging to its Calantic Digital Solutions portfolio as part of its launch of a cardiac service line. The company also presented at ECR 2024 new clinical and pre-clinical data for gadoquatrane, its investigational macrocyclic gadolinium-based contrast agent in phase III clinical development. Gadoquatrane could enable radiologists to use a much lower gadolinium dose while achieving equivalent image quality to older MRI contrast agents.

• 4DMedical Added to Blackford Platform: 4DMedical continues to build momentum. Fresh on the heels of its acquisition of Imbio, the company has signed a deal to add Imbio’s solutions to Blackford Platform. 4DMedical will benefit from Blackford’s impressive reach in the AI marketplace segment, and the deal will complement 4DMedical’s existing relationships with Nuance and Aidoc.

• FDA Warning on Breast Tissue Markers: The FDA has issued a warning on the use of BioZorb breast tissue markers manufactured by Hologic. The warning covers the BioZorb and BioZorb LP devices, which are implanted in soft tissue, including breast tissue, at sites that need to be marked for future medical procedures, such as radiation for breast cancer treatment. The FDA has received reports of complications from use of the markers, and in particular noted they have not been approved to improve cosmetic outcomes.

• CMS Finally Kills Appropriate Use: CMS has tossed the last shovel of dirt on its appropriate use criteria program for advanced diagnostic imaging. CMS wanted to use AUC to get a handle on overuse of medical imaging by requiring referring physicians to use AUC-based software when ordering exams, but the program was difficult to implement and CMS has finally told Medicare administrative contractors that the program is fully suspended. Legal expert Tom Greeson offers a great explanation of the AUC program and its troubled history. 

• Riverain Touts Strong Growth: Chest AI developer Riverain Technologies said it closed 2023 with a bang, posting 286% revenue growth with 30 new customers during the year. The privately held company did not release exact financial figures, but it said it has seen strong adoption of its ClearRead CT and ClearRead Xray solutions, in particular at facilities run by the US DoD and the VA, such as the VA’s Lung Precision Oncology Program (LPOP). 

• Gesund’s AI Partnerships: AI services provider Gesund.ai has made several moves to enhance its position as an arbiter of AI quality and safety. The company has joined  VALID AI and the U.S. Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute Consortium (AISIC) as a member, moves that allow Gesund.ai to power the validation infrastructure for VALID AI member health systems, while working with US bodies like the Department of Commerce to establish best practices for using medical AI.

• Mistakes to Avoid When Pitching Angels: The digital health dynamic duo of Nikhil Krishnan and Halle Tecco partnered up on a list of avoidable mistakes they’ve seen when getting pitched by early stage startups. In typical Out-of-Pocket fashion, the write up is loaded with spicy memes and juicy banter, but it also includes real pitch decks and email examples that are great tools for anyone playing the fundraising game. The most common mistake? Picking a solution before figuring out the pain point and business model.

Visit TeraRecon at ECR 2024

Discover how TeraRecon’s solutions can deliver clinical decision support across your enterprise and explore the latest updates to their industry-leading advanced visualization software at ECR 2024. Schedule a meeting today.

Faster MRI Scans with No Compromise

What if you could speed up your MRI scans with no compromise on image quality? In this video from RSNA 2023, we talked to SpinTech MRI CEO Karen Holzberger and Senior Clinical Sales Executive John Ciliberto about how their STAGE software is making this vision a reality.

Implementation of AI in Clinical Practice

Join key opinion leaders in radiology at ECR 2024 for a discussion of AI in clinical practice on Thursday February 29 at 1:45 pm in the AI Theatre, hosted by Calantic Digital Solutions.

The Resource Wire

• AMRIC’s Multimodality Approach to Medical Imaging: AMRIC is a new premium imaging clinic on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. Learn about their multimodality approach to medical imaging and why they turned to United Imaging for cutting-edge CT, MRI, and molecular imaging technology. 

• AI Lightning Talk at ECR 2024: Join Riverain Technologies at ECR 2024 for an AI Lightning Talk on improved lung nodule detection with ClearRead CT, Friday March 1 at 4:25 pm in AIX Expo X1.  

• Meet Gleamer at ECR 2024: Learn all about Gleamer and its portfolio of AI solutions, including its BoneView algorithm for detecting fractures in adults and children, at the upcoming ECR 2024 conference. Schedule a meeting today. 

• Connect with CARPL at ECR 2024: Experience the world’s largest radiology AI marketplace and accelerate radiology AI adoption with CARPL.ai at ECR 2024. Schedule your meeting today. 

• Looking to Get Started with AI? Learn how Milton Keynes University Hospital adopted a successful AI strategy in this on-demand webinar from Blackford. You’ll discover how to evaluate and select the best AI solutions for your facility, tips for getting started with AI, and more. 

• How Imaging Partners of OC Eliminated CDs: Imaging Partners of Orange County was using CD-ROMs to share with patients many of the over 70,000 imaging exams they perform annually. Find out how PocketHealth helped them eliminate CDs and provide a better patient experience.

• Joining Forces on Medical Imaging Data Standardization: Being a leader in healthcare and having to make decisions on technology purchases can be tough. Learn how Enlitic partner Blackford Analysis has made it easy, with many AI solutions all in one platform. 

• Best in KLAS for Cardiovascular Imaging: The Merge Cardio and Merge Hemo solutions from Merge by Merative have been named Best in KLAS 2024 for Cardiology and Hemodynamics. Learn more about the solutions that have dominated both KLAS categories since 2007.

• The Benefits of an AI Accelerator: What is an AI accelerator, and how can it impact your practice? Learn about the Visage AI Accelerator program and its impact on research and clinical practice in this video from Visage Imaging. 

• The Intersection of Health Technology and Business: How are the worlds of health technology and business intersecting? In this episode of The Radiology Report, Intelerad Medical Systems President Morris Panner sits down with Medality CEO Daniel Arnold to explore his career and discuss the evolution of the industry.

• Echo AI and Mobile Health: Powered by AI-automated software, mobile ultrasound devices are taking echo exams out of the conventional clinical setting and on the road. In this article, learn how Singapore is using Us2.ai’s echo AI software to complete the full mobile exam pathway whilst maintaining high clinical standards.  

• Making Advanced Cardiac CT Accessible Everywhere: How do you bring cardiac CT to high-risk patients in rural areas? Watch this video from Siemens Healthineers to learn insights into setting up a cardiovascular CT program in a rural area – and how to overcome associated challenges.

• Monitoring AI Solutions in Healthcare: Clinical applications for healthcare AI are rapidly expanding, but many barriers are still preventing widespread adoption. This Nuance post explores a critical set of questions: what happens after an AI model goes into production, and how to know if it continues to perform as expected?

• 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 Multitenant Cloud Advantage: Check out this Change Healthcare video explaining the difference between single-tenant and multitenant cloud architecture, and how multitenant solutions can improve your efficiency and flexibility.