PALO ALTO, Calif., Feb. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- Frost & Sullivan presented The Medipattern Corporation with the 2006 Medical Imaging Technology Innovation of the Year Award for developing a computer-aided detection (CAD) package designed specifically for use in conjunction with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the detection and diagnosis of breast cancer.
Each year, Frost & Sullivan presents this Award to a company that has exhibited technological superiority within its industry. The Award recognizes the ability of the company to successfully develop and introduce technology, formulate a well-designed product family, and make significant product performance contributions to the industry.
“The B-CAD MRI(TM) software allows for both kinetic and morphological assessments of malignancy using MRI images of breast tissue, possibly reducing the use of invasive biopsy surgical procedures,” says Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Subha B. Basu. “With its CAD package, Medipattern is building on the success of their B-CAD package for ultrasound mammography, and is the first to have crossed the modality barrier.”
This technology is expected to be readily adopted by a wide spectrum of end-users, ranging from hospitals to diagnostic imaging centers.
The American College of Radiology (ACR) has developed extensive guidelines for ultrasound and MRI procedures in mammography, termed BI-RADS(R) lexicons. To detect breast cancer using MRI, the ACR BI-RADS(R) lexicon identifies six clinical categories and 20 further characteristics that accurately identify breast tissue malignancy.
Among the recommendations for MRI-CAD, the ACR encourages packages that can measure both the standard kinetics of washout of contrast agent and the morphological features of the region of interest. The present selection of CAD products for MRI studies concentrates exclusively on kinetics, where the wash- in, wash-out time of contrast agent is used to predict the cancer-state of the breast tissue.
In case of a discrepancy between the results of an ultrasound CAD and a kinetics-based CAD, a biopsy must be performed in order to arrive at an accurate diagnosis. Radiologists have suggested that CAD software that can simultaneously provide both gross and acute morphological analysis of a specific region will reduce the number of unnecessary biopsies, while possibly detecting subtle changes in breast tissue that occur before tumors metastasize.
Clinical characteristics such as size, margin and mass enhancements are just some of the morphological features presented in the final MRI report for each study from the Medipattern B-CAD MRI program. The algorithm can also prepopulate features in specific regions and generate a result tree for each lesion.
“The CAD software is built on Medipattern’s patent pending CADENZA(TM) platform and is flexible enough to support different modalities and targets,” explains Basu. “Patients are likely to find this new method of breast cancer detection highly attractive compared with tissue biopsy, which can leave some women with long-term emotional and physical scars.”
Medipattern will seek FDA approval for B-CAD MRI, with general market availability expected in the latter half of 2006. By offering a highly sensitive and accurate diagnostic software package that benefits both the patient and the physician, B-CAD MRI has the potential to revolutionize the mammography industry. For these reasons, Frost & Sullivan is proud to recognize The Medipattern Corporation with the 2006 Medical Imaging Technology Innovation of the Year Award.
About Medipattern Corporation
The Medipattern Corporation develops computer-aided detection (CAD) software applications for medical imaging. These applications enhance workflow while improving interpretive and diagnostic confidence. The Company’s initial clinical application is B-CAD(TM) for breast ultrasound. B- CAD uses pattern recognition technology to assist radiologists in their efforts to classify and characterize lesions in ultrasound images of the breast. For additional information, please visit the company’s website at: http://www.medipattern.com .
Contact: Jeff Collins 416.744.0009 ext. 224 jcollins@medipattern.com About Frost & Sullivan
Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting company, has been partnering with clients to support the development of innovative strategies for more than 40 years. The company’s industry expertise integrates growth consulting, growth partnership services, and corporate management training to identify and develop opportunities. Frost & Sullivan serves an extensive clientele that includes Global 1000 companies, emerging companies, and the investment community by providing comprehensive industry coverage that reflects a unique global perspective and combines ongoing analysis of markets, technologies, econometrics, and demographics. For more information, visit http://www.frost.com .
Contact: Stacie Jones 210.247.2450 Stacie.jones@frost.com
Frost & Sullivan
CONTACT: Jeff Collins of Medipattern Corporation, +1-416-744-0009, ext.224, or jcollins@medipattern.com ; or Stacie Jones of Frost & Sullivan,+1-210-247-2450, or Stacie.jones@frost.com
