IBM Watson Health can now detect head trauma

IBM Watson Health has signed a five-year licensing agreement with MedyMatch Technology, an Israel-based startup that uses advanced cognitive analytics and artificial intelligence to deliver medical solutions. Last month, IBM introduced its first cognitive imaging offering – IBM Watson Imaging Clinical Review – announcing the expansion of Watson Health medical imaging collaborative to 24 organizations worldwide. With this new collaboration with Medymatch, the US giant aims to strengthen its imaging offerings through MedyMatch AI-based clinical decision support application. https://youtu.be/ghynQ_Qzsg8 The new technology will allow imaging experts working in hospital emergency rooms and other acute care settings to help doctors identify instances of intracranial bleeding as a result of head trauma and stroke.

“The opportunity to leverage MedyMatch’s inventive technology is an exciting addition to the vendor-neutral capabilities we are working to deliver to providers who specialize in brain health,” said Anne Le Grand, Vice President, Imaging, IBM Watson Health.

“IBMs alliance with MedyMatch supports Watson Health’s global strategy to apply the power of Watson to the world’s most pressing healthcare challenges,” Grand added. The MedyMatch algorithm uses sophisticated deep learning, machine vision, patient data, and clinical insights to automatically highlight if there is a potential presence of cerebral bleeds, without interrupting how a physician works. Hence, the technology brings cognitive tools into the daily workflow of an emergency department to help physicians assess patients suspected of head trauma or stroke, and rule out the presence of a bleed in the brain.

“The opportunity to license our deep vision application to IBM Watson Health creates a unique value proposition in healthcare. Engaging closely with IBM allows for a near-zero footprint implementation at a customer location delivering ‘A.I. to the bedside’ where I believe the future of healthcare lies,” said Gene Saragnese, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, MedyMatch.

“At MedyMatch, we believe improvements in the interpretation of data will lead to better decisions, better decisions will lead to better outcomes for patients and lower cost for healthcare. This is what drives us forward every day,” Saragnese added. Initially, IBM Watson Health’s Imaging group will distribute MedyMatch’s brain bleed detection application globally through its vendor neutral sales channels. In the future, the duo aim to develop interoperability between MedyMatch’s application and IBM Watson Health Imaging’s offerings. MedyMatch is currently conducting a clinical trial for its intracranial bleed assessment application and is working towards a Premarket approval (PMA) by the U.S. FDA.