First Computer-Aided Detection Application for Tracking Lymph Nodes

Recently launched for European radiologists, a new computer-aided detection (CAD) application has been developed for identifying and analyzing lymph nodes volumetrically and comparing them over time.

Definiens (Munich, Germany), an enterprise image intelligence company, announced a partnership with Imaging Service AG (Niederpöcking, Germany;
www.imaging-service.de), a provider of teleradiology services. Imaging Service will utilize Definiens LymphExpert in the analysis of patient computed tomography (CT) images from a network of 25 German hospitals.

Imaging Service provides high-quality diagnoses from CT and MRI images to hospitals that lack the capability to perform sophisticated image analysis in-house. Participating hospitals are able to send their patients' images to the Imaging Service teleradiology picture archiving and communication systems (PACS) and request a report via the company's web portal, from which experienced radiologist provide 24-hour diagnostic reading and quantification services. Imaging Services' radiologists then analyze those images and submit a diagnostic report to the web portal, which the hospital can retrieve within a couple of minutes. Under its partnership with Definiens, Imaging Service will utilize Definiens LymphExpert to analyze lymph nodes on CT images, which play a vital role in the assessment of the spread of cancer through the lymphatic system.

"Imaging Service provides hospitals across Germany with rapid radiological services for a number of diseases," said Barna Almasi, technical director at Imaging Service. "Employing Definiens LymphExpert will greatly increase our ability to provide efficient, accurate diagnostic services for cancer patients."

Definiens LymphExpert supports the detection of lymph nodes in CT images, automatically segmenting lymph nodes and analyzing their properties. The application provides a precise evaluation of lymph nodes' volumetric growth or diminution over time, facilitating early and accurate detection of cancer progression.

"Definiens LymphExpert is our first commercially available CAD application," said Frank P. Klein, vice president, medical imaging at Definiens. "We are extremely excited to partner with an innovative company like Imaging Service and are confident that Definiens LymphExpert will help streamline oncology diagnostics."

Under the terms of the partnership, Imaging Services may also become an early adopter of potential applications for lung and liver image analysis currently under development at Definiens.

Imaging Service is a pioneer in teleradiology. The company manages a teleradiology competence network with decentralized diagnostic centers and reading services at the University Hospital of Munich, Charité Berlin, Bogenhausen Hospital, and the University of Luebeck, by which more than 50,000 patient reports have been processed. In addition, Imaging Service runs a diagnostic center for MRI driven focused ultrasound therapy (MRgFUS).

By automating image analysis, Definiens supports healthcare providers in analyzing and interpreting large numbers of digital images accurately and consistently. Definiens improves the analysis of tissue samples and noninvasive imaging, enabling translational medicine--from early diagnosis to personalized treatment.

Definiens analyzes and interprets images on every scale, from microscopic cell structures to satellite images. The Definiens Cognition Network Technology, developed by Nobel Laureate Prof. Gerd Binnig and his team, is an advanced context-based technology designed to fulfill the image analysis requirements of the medical, life science, and Earth science markets. The technology is modeled on the powerful human cognitive perception processes to extract intelligence from images.

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