Estonian medical technology startup Better Medicine has developed and certified the world’s first and only AI-powered software as a medical device for clinical use to detect, measure, and classify kidney tumors in CT scans. The solution aims to assist radiologists in identifying cancer earlier and faster.
“In Estonia, kidney cancer is diagnosed in stages III or IV in an average of 41.5% of cases, when treatment options are limited. The share of late-stage cases has increased significantly in recent years – from 32.1% in 2019 to 41.5% in 2021. This alarming trend motivated the Better Medicine team to develop a solution that supports radiologists in detecting the disease in its early stages – as early detection is critical in the treatment of kidney cancer,” explained Priit Salumaa, CEO of Better Medicine.
“Our AI solution has delivered remarkable results in clinical testing, autonomously analysing scans and distinguishing between tumours with benign and malignant feature.”
Priit Salumaa, CEO of Better Medicine
The kidney model was trained using anonymised CT scans from real patients to ensure the model’s broad and successful performance. A clinical study conducted by the company showed that radiologists working with Better Medicine’s software were up to 52% faster in measuring tumors compared to working without AI assistance. The study also demonstrated that radiologists in collaboration with AI detected kidney tumors in up to 99.2% of the cases in the sample.
The software frees doctors from manual tasks
The startup certified the AI-powered software as a medical device under EU MDR 2017/745 regulation. “Our AI solution has delivered remarkable results in clinical testing, autonomously analysing scans and distinguishing between tumours with benign and malignant features. Thanks to the team’s long-standing dedication, our technology has now received CE marking, enabling radiologists to use the kidney model as an assistive tool in clinical practice,” said Salumaa, adding that the team is proud that the world’s first and only CE-marked kidney cancer detection solution was developed in Estonia.
GOOD TO KNOW
Medical devices include all devices and software used for diagnosing, treating, or preventing diseases. To be used in clinical practice in Europe, a medical device must have CE marking. The CE mark certifies that the device has undergone rigorous testing, meets safety requirements, and complies with medical device regulations.
Professor Pilvi Ilves, Head of the Department of Radiology at Tartu University Hospital, who collaborated on the clinical study, highlights the positive impact of AI on radiologists: “The use of AI models in clinical workflows frees radiologists from manual and time-consuming tasks, allowing doctors to focus on truly important questions and clinical decisions.”
Better Medicine aspires to lead in intelligent cancer diagnostics
Better Medicine‘s CEO Priit Salumaa emphasises the company’s ambitious future plans. “Our goal is to become a leading provider of intelligent cancer diagnostics tools. We are initially focusing on abdominal tumors, as their detection is extremely complex and effective solutions are scarce. We continue to collaborate with the University of Tartu, Tartu University Hospital, Pärnu Hospital, and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust in the UK to test the technology and improve its performance,” explained Salumaa.
“The use of AI models in clinical workflows frees radiologists from manual and time-consuming tasks, allowing doctors to focus on truly important questions and clinical decisions.”
Professor Pilvi Ilves, Head of the Department of Radiology at Tartu University Hospital
He adds that Better Medicine will soon initiate a fundraising process to enter the US market and expand into the field of drug research, where radiological images are used to monitor the effects of treatments on patients.
Better Medicine is an Estonian medical technology company founded in 2020, developing AI-based solutions in radiology for detecting oncological findings. The company’s mission is to innovate the healthcare system by providing solutions that support radiologists’ daily work and improve patients’ quality of life. Better Medicine’s offices are located in Tallinn, Tartu, and Leeds, UK.
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