Polish Med-Tech Company BrainScan to Expand Extensively into Foreign Markets
Posted on 21 Jun 2024
In 2021, stroke devastated 7.44 million lives, as reported in the American Heart Association's 2024 Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics Update Fact Sheet. Specifically, ischemic strokes were responsible for 3.71 million deaths, intracerebral hemorrhages caused 3.38 million, and subarachnoid hemorrhages accounted for 0.36 million. Further, a related study highlights that only one-eighth of ischemic stroke patients reach medical care within the first hour of symptom onset, underscoring that timely intervention is critical. Now, an artificial intelligence (AI) system for lesion detection based on computed tomography (CT) images accelerates brain CT analyses to slash diagnosis times and prioritize patient-centered care.
Developed by BrainScan SA (Gdansk, Poland), the BrainScan CT AI system leverages AI algorithms to analyze CT brain scans, automatically detecting and marking potential pathological changes. The system integrates seamlessly with existing platforms, delivering analysis results as infographics and structured text directly back to the PACS server from which they originated. This makes BrainScan CT a potent decision support tool in the machine learning-based interpretation of CT brain scans, operating entirely via cloud-based integration.
The company has compiled a unique global dataset of 250,000 head CT scans, complete with radiologists’ evaluations, contributing to a total of approximately 12.5 million scans. This diverse collection spans 21 different CT scanner models, facilitating the development of an AI model with robust efficacy metrics. Presently, the BrainScan CT system is capable of identifying 30 prevalent brain pathologies, such as hemorrhages, tumors, and traumatic brain injuries, accurately pinpointing the location of these anomalies. It is also universally compatible with all hospital systems including DICOM, PACS, and RIS/HIS.
BrainScan CT has earned various recognitions – both in Europe and globally – including the Gold Medal of the Radiological Society of North America in Chicago, second place in the AI Theater European Society of Radiology competition in Vienna, and first place at this year’s Expand North Star trade fair in Dubai. The company showcased its technology at the European Congress of Radiology, which provided valuable market insights, confirmed the demand for its solution, and helped establish new business relationships. BrainScan is actively expanding the reach and sales of its certified BrainScan CT system across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.
Currently, over 20 healthcare entities in Poland and internationally, including in Germany, Bulgaria, Morocco, and Ukraine, are using the BrainScan CT system. The company partners with various distributors like Novotika (Bulgaria), HCK (Morocco), Datamed (Lithuania), Milvue (France), Aplicaciones Tecnológicas (Spain), and Pearl Innovision (Switzerland). The solution is also featured on major marketplaces like TestDynamic (USA), CARPL (USA), deepc (Europe), and NEOS and ADS (India). In a notable humanitarian effort, the system is deployed in critical regions of Ukraine, including Odessa, Rozdilna, and Kramatorsk, as part of an agreement with Ukraine's Ministry of Health, supporting local radiologists’ efforts. An agreement was also recently concluded to launch the system at the Regional Clinical Hospital in Zhytomyr within the first quarter of 2024.
"After a very intense 2023, during which we obtained CE MDR certification, opening the possibility of deploying our system in the European market, and obtaining certifications for the UK, Swiss, Moroccan, and Ukrainian markets, it is now time to strengthen the company's position in additional markets. Besides continuing collaborations with current entities, we aim to expand our system's reach in other countries across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East," said Dr. Szymon Korzekwa, CEO of BrainScan SA.
"Our solution, BrainScan CT, provides doctors with an analysis result within 3 minutes, which – according to analyses conducted in the Emergency Department of the Regional Hospital in Poznan – leads to a reduction in patient transfer time to the ward by 69 minutes in the case of undetermined stroke (non-hemorrhagic or infarct), 66 minutes in the case of intracranial hemorrhage, and 33 minutes in the case of intracranial injury. This is crucial for efficient patient triage, allowing almost immediate response in urgent cases. The system can also support the work of less experienced doctors, serve as a 'second pair of eyes' during long shifts, and reduce the risk of missing pathologies by doctors, which brings significant benefits – both for patient health and economically for the facility," added Dr. Korzekwa.
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