MedyMatch looks to future of stroke detection with AI platform launch

Artificial intelligence healthcare startup MedyMatch Technology said late last month its AI platform designed to detect intracranial hemorrhage or brain bleeds is now available for research.

The development is a milestone for the company, but is only the 1st stop for the platform, CEO Gene Saragnese told MassDevice.com in an interview.

“What we’ve done at MedyMatch is develop not just an algorithm, but an AI platform which looks at the entire patient – that is to say, the full richness of 3D imaging plus other patient attributes – to allow us, firstly, to understand whether that person is hemorrhagic stroke,” Saragnese said. “Our 1st application is in the area of bleed detection. Then it is our intent to leverage this platform to attack the next level up in terms of challenges within stroke, which is things like occlusion assessment, trying to understand if it is not a hemorrhagic stroke and what and how should I treat this patient for an ischemic stroke.”

The company focused on stroke 1st because of the massive risk it poses to the U.S. and the world as a whole, Saragnese said. By 2030, it is estimated that stroke will cost the US healthcare system $240 billion, and will affect 3.4 million people, he added.

The platform is designed to help physicians make more informed decisions in stroke, which is important due to the challenges inherent in diagnosing stroke.

“Stroke itself is sort of a distributed problem. People come into hospitals with headaches, bit of blurred vision, and the challenge is to determine whether they have had or are having a stroke,” Saragnese said.

The platform MedyMatch is developing is slated to come into fruition in several forms: a patient specific computer assisted detection device, as well as a prioritization algorithm within a PACS or CT machine to help prioritize cases based on the potential for a bleed. The platform could also see use as a proactive tool, to provide insights into populations.

“We believe these types of tools will be used to guide treatment as well. I’m a firm believer that this technology can have a huge impact in healthcare. By making better decisions in front of patient we can have a big impact on quality, which will impact outcomes, which will ultimately impact patients lives as well as healthcare costs,” Saragnese said.

But the platform won’t stop at Stroke, Saragnese added, and with future development, could help improve healthcare worldwide.

“Looking at the platform thats been developed, the 1st application is very exciting. But what that platform sets us up to do is to really continue to attack complex political problems that lie within the imaging space,” Saragnese said. “In the United States there’s roughly 1 physician for every 2 to 300 people. In other parts of the world its far, far more challenging. I see these types of applications, in particular the full 3D interpretation of the patient, helping in areas like the US where we’re trying to deliver higher quality care ad reduce waste in healthcare. But I also see it in places where there aren’t enough physicians to go around, where we can bring a higher quality of care, a higher degree of confidence in physicians.”

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