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AI biomarkers, built for real-world impact and clinical trials. Meet us at ASCO 2026 | Booth #IH12.

Qure.ai Recognized Among TIME’s 100 Most Influential Companies of 2025

Qure.ai partners with Microsoft to increase access to its lung cancer detection and management suite in the U.S.

qTrack

Mumbai, India – 30th July, 2024 – Qure.ai, a global leader in healthcare AI, has recently demonstrated the significant potential impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on stroke care. In collaboration with Baptist Christian Hospital (BCH) in Tezpur, Assam, India, Qure.ai conducted a study focusing on the role of AI in improving stroke diagnosis and treatment times, especially in remote or resource-challenged settings.

The study, titled "Artificial Intelligence-based Automated CT Brain Interpretation to Accelerate Treatment for Acute Stroke in India: An Interrupted Time Series Study," evaluated the effectiveness of Qure.ai's AI-powered stroke detection solution, qER.

Stroke is the second leading cause of death worldwide and a major cause of disability, emphasizing the need for timely intervention. In India, it ranks as the third leading cause of death and sixth in disability. The first 60 minutes post-stroke, known as the Golden Hour, are critical for intervention, as prompt medical treatment can significantly enhance recovery outcomes. The high economic burden of stroke-related hospitalization further underscores the importance of immediate medical attention.

BCH Tezpur is a 130-bedded charitable hospital under the Emmanuel Health Association. It has an ER with ten beds and provides both outpatient and inpatient services. BCH Tezpur does not have a neurologist in-house and depends on a tele-radiologist for the NCCT report analysis, which often takes hours. The nearest comprehensive stroke hospital is in Guwahati, 180 km away, making faster stroke diagnosis and intervention a challenge.

With only one neurologist per million people in India, often concentrated in urban areas, the Qure-BCH Tezpur study underscores the potential of AI-powered solutions to support clinicians in delivering superior patient care and transforming stroke management.

Qure.ai's solutions aim to enhance diagnostic accuracy and efficiency, ultimately improving patient outcomes through earlier detection. The qER solution analyzes head CT scans within minutes, highlighting critical findings and enabling physicians to quickly identify stroke patients and initiate treatment faster.

Key findings from the <a href="https://journals.plos.org/globalpublichealth/article?id=10.1371/journal.pgph.0003351">Qure-Tezpur study</a> include:

"Like BCH Tezpur, there are many hospitals across the world, particularly in LMICs, that are the first line of care for stroke patients. Given the challenges of accessibility to alternate superspecialty care centers, the treatment adequacy and timeliness in these centers decides the patient outcomes, and possibly post stroke quality of life for patients. It is heartwarming to see the real-world impact of our AI solution for stroke care at BCH, and we aim to see a similar transformation worldwide.” said Anumeha Srivastava, Chief Business Officer - Neurology of Qure.ai.

Dr. Jacob Johnson, Medical Director at Baptist Christian Hospital, remarked, "Integrating Qure.ai's AI-powered stroke detection solution has transformed our approach to stroke care. The ability to quickly and accurately diagnose strokes has allowed us to provide timely interventions, drastically improving patient outcomes in our hospital."

The findings from the Qure – BCH Tezpur collaboration indicate that AI solutions and technological advancements are helping to reshape the stroke care landscape. Qure.ai's stroke solution, qER, alongside the Qure App for streamlined care coordination, is enhancing access to neurocritical care in several Indian hospitals. Wider adoption of this AI-driven approach is the future of stroke care – it can facilitate faster interventions, potentially setting a new standard for treatment and significantly improve patient outcomes globally.

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AI Helps Doctors Treat Stroke Faster: Qure.ai Study Reveals Significant Real-World Impact

New York, July 22 2024: <a href="https://www.qure.ai/" target="_blank">Qure.ai</a>, a global leader in healthcare AI, has received a Class III medical device licence from Health Canada for all its medical imaging AI solutions. This significant milestone enables Qure.ai to expand its presence into the Canadian healthcare market, providing AI-powered tools that support hospital clinicians to deliver superior patient care.&nbsp;

Health Canada's Class III classification reflects a comprehensive evaluation of Qure.ai's AI solutions, including rigorous assessments of safety, effectiveness, and quality. This classification, indicating the highest risk category for Software-as-a Medical Device (SaMD) products, underscores the advanced capabilities and robust safety standards of Qure.ai's AI-powered algorithms in medical imaging.&nbsp;

Qure.ai’s solutions are designed to assist and enhance diagnostic accuracy and efficiency, ultimately improving patient outcomes through earlier detection. The Class III licence covers all Qure.ai's flagship solutions. This includes:&nbsp;

Prashant Warier, Co-founder &amp; CEO, Qure.ai, states, "Receiving the Class III licence from Health Canada is testament to the rigor and quality of our AI algorithms. This approval allows us to bring our already globally proven AI solutions to the Canadian healthcare market, where we can support healthcare professionals in making earlier, more accurate and efficient diagnoses. This puts patient care at the heart of digital healthcare transformation.”&nbsp;

The Class III medical device licence approval from Health Canada builds on Qure's commitment to refining healthcare standards all around the world. It adds to a growing roster of USA Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) AI clearances and European Union Medical Device Regulation (EU MDR) CE mark approvals delivering trust in AI safety and providing global healthcare access to proven AI tools.&nbsp;

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Qure.ai gains Class III medical device licence approval from Health Canada 

New York, June 25 2024: Merck Global Health Innovation Fund has made a strategic investment into Qure.ai as part of its Series D round. This funding will go towards investing into foundation models for artificial intelligence (AI) in imaging and expanding geographical reach of Qure.ai’s AI-powered imaging solutions into the US market.&nbsp;

Globally Qure.ai has delivered AI-augmented detection for Tuberculosis (TB), Lung Cancer and Stroke at over 2700 imaging sites, across more than 90 countries. It has clearance from the United States Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) for its AI-powered Chest X-ray lung nodule detection solution (qXR-LN); breakthrough device designation for TB solution (qSpot-TB); an AI-enabled head CT tool to expedite the detection, triage and quantification of traumatic brain injuries and stroke (qER-Suite); plus multiple other plain film X-ray emergency room findings.

With ever growing patient populations and burden of disease on health systems continuing to exert pressure, healthcare AI presents a huge opportunity to power early identification and management.

“Healthcare AI provides the opportunity to review people faster as we have shown in patients with TB in low-and middle-income countries, as well as lung cancer and emergency triage in the UK’s National Health Service,” said Prashant Warier, Co-founder and CEO of Qure.ai. “This strategic investment in Qure.ai from the Merck Global Health Innovation Fund will enable us to expedite our work in foundation models and expand the reach of our AI both geographically and demographically."

“Initial real-world studies and recent FDA clearances have provided compelling evidence for the potential of Qure.ai’s medical imaging AI innovations,” said David M. Rubin, Managing Director, Merck Global Health Innovation Fund LLC. “AI has the potential to power the early diagnosis of lung cancer, TB or Stroke giving the best chance of survival outcomes and improving quality of life for patients.”

Merck had previously invested in Qure.ai, as part of its impact investing portfolio led by the Merck Office of Social Business Innovation.

Also featured in <a href="https://www.auntminnie.com/imaging-informatics/artificial-intelligence/article/15678345/qureai-secures-merck-investment">AuntMinnie</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/qure-ai-announces-strategic-investment-130000050.html?_fsig=CJ0ttqHqQ9ceOVGXRH80ZQ--%7EA">Yahoo! Finance</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://aithority.com/machine-learning/qure-ai-gets-investment-from-merck-global-health-innovation-fund-to-enhance-healthcare-ai/">AIthority</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://hitconsultant.net/2024/06/25/merck-global-health-innovation-fund-invests-in-qure-ai-to-expand-lung-cancer-detection/">HIT Consultant</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://theaiinsider.tech/2024/06/25/merck-global-health-innovation-fund-makes-strategic-investment-in-qure-ai/">AI Insider</a>.&nbsp;

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Qure.ai announces strategic investment by Merck Global Health Innovation Fund

New York, June 18 2024: The advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in healthcare to support diagnostic decision making, stave off burnout and enhance quality patient care has taken a giant stride forward. <a href="http://www.strategicradiology.org/" target="_blank">Strategic Radiology</a>, a coalition of independently owned and operated local private radiology practices, and <a href="https://www.qure.ai/" target="_blank">Qure.ai</a>, a global leader in healthcare AI, have formed a partnership to advance clinical accuracy and operational efficiency through easier access to cutting-edge medical imaging AI technology. &nbsp;

With more than 1700 radiologist members, Strategic Radiology is at the forefront of supporting private practice radiology groups nationwide through ongoing education programs, improved economics associated with greater scale and access to the latest technology innovations.  &nbsp;

“The partnership is an exciting opportunity for our members to get closer to innovative AI tools from Qure.ai for early identification of lung nodules, triage of emergency head CTs, and streamlined chest X-ray reporting,” states Scott Bundy, MD, CEO and Chair, Strategic Radiology. “Members of our coalition are working together to test, validate, and deploy AI tools to assist us in delivering clinical quality improvement and operational efficiencies for our radiology practices, hospital partners, and patients.”&nbsp;

Samir Shah, Chief Medical Officer at Qure.ai states, “Workload issues for radiologists continue to rise with an aging US population and the ongoing need for imaging to detect disease and urgent conditions earlier to decrease morbidity. AI can significantly assist with the burden, to create clarity and augment clinical acumen and diagnostic confidence. We look forward to working with Strategic Radiology to deliver AI-powered medical imaging solutions to radiologists nationwide.” &nbsp;

Recently, Qure.ai announced its 13th FDA (Food and Drug Administration) clearance for its AI-enabled solutions. qXR-LN, a plain film chest X-ray algorithm, is the only FDA-cleared solution for detecting and localizing lung nodules utilizing computer vision.

Also featured in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.dotmed.com/news/story/63229?utm_source=news&amp;utm_medium=rss&amp;utm_campaign=generic">DotMed</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.auntminnie.com/imaging-informatics/artificial-intelligence/article/15677857/strategic-radiology-qureai-partner-to-foster-easier-access-to-imaging-ai">AuntMinnie</a> <a href="https://radiologybusiness.com/topics/healthcare-management/business-intelligence/strategic-radiology-signs-qureai">Radiology Business</a> <a href="https://www.itnonline.com/content/qureai-and-strategic-radiology-announce-collaboration-assist-radiology-workflow-innovative">Itn Online</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://theimagingwire.com/newsletter/ultrasound-tomo-breast-screening/">The Imaging Wire</a>&nbsp;

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Qure.ai and Strategic Radiology announce collaboration to assist radiology workflow with innovative AI algorithms  

New York, May 29 2024: To further the fight against global lung cancer, <a href="https://www.qure.ai/" target="_blank">Qure.ai</a>, a world leader in healthcare Artificial Intelligence (AI), will unveil its AI-powered lung cancer continuum at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) annual meeting in Chicago, from May 31 to June 4, 2024.&nbsp;

Featuring AI solutions to identify, measure, manage, and monitor the end-to-end care continuum is designed to support clinicians and advance developments for lung health in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Lung cancer is the <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/lung-cancer" target="_blank">leading cause of cancer-deaths worldwide</a>, with approximately <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5627048/" target="_blank">75%</a> of patients detected in late-stage disease. Earlier detection reduces the need for therapeutic or surgical intervention and boosts survival rates, by over <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7950268/" target="_blank">90%</a> if treatment starts at stage 1,” states Prashant Warier, CEO and Co-founder of Qure.ai.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Artificial intelligence for lung cancer powers early detection - not just as part of existing screening programs, but by finding small pulmonary nodules, often opportunistically, during general healthcare imaging procedures. This enables earlier identification and referral for imaging or treatment pathways. It also helps overcome the ongoing challenges of low lung cancer screening appointment uptake rates,” Prashant Warier adds.&nbsp;

The Qure.ai lung cancer continuum provides regulatory-cleared* individual or end-to-end detection, analysis, and monitoring tools, putting improved patient care at the heart of innovation:&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Qure.ai has extensive real-world experience with AI deployments at over 2700 sites in more than 90 countries. It is widely trusted by global institutions with partnerships, commercial deployments and research studies underway with AstraZeneca, the UK’s National Health Service (NHS) hospitals and major teleradiology companies in UK and US. Qure.ai is headquartered in Mumbai with regional team offices in New York and London.&nbsp;

Also featured in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.itnonline.com/content/ai-powered-lung-cancer-care-continuum-unveiled-asco-2024">Imaging Technology News</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.diagnosticimaging.com/view/qure-ai-multimodality-ai-platform-lung-cancer-imaging-asco-2024">Diagnostic Imaging</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.azorobotics.com/News.aspx?newsID=14931">AZO Robotics</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.auntminnie.com/imaging-informatics/artificial-intelligence/article/15676381/qureai-to-unveil-lung-care-continuum-at-asco-meeting">AuntMinnie</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.appliedradiationoncology.com/articles/qure-ai-to-unveil-ai-powered-lung-cancer-care-continuum-at-asco-2024">Applied Radiation Oncology</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://aitech365.com/healthcare/ai-powered-lung-cancer-care-continuum-unveiled-at-asco-2024/">AI Tech 365</a>.&nbsp;

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AI-powered lung cancer care continuum unveiled at ASCO 2024 

Qure.ai, a global AI solutions provider, and AstraZeneca, a global pharmaceutical leader, have partnered with Aventus Medical, one of the leading healthcare service providers and Intellicare, a top healthcare management and services organization in the Philippines. These organisations are working towards early risk detection of lung nodules in patients by using AI- assisted chest x-ray (CXR) screening.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Qure.ai collaborates with healthcare organizations such as Aventus Medical &amp; Intellicare for incidental detection of lung nodule risks through AI solution on chest X-rays. This collaboration marks a significant step forward in the battle against lung cancer that we and AstraZeneca have embarked on,” said Prashant Warier, CEO and Co-founder of Qure.ai.&nbsp;

The partnership, led by AstraZeneca, brings together the strengths of pharmaceutical expertise and cutting-edge AI solutions, emphasizing the power of innovation and technology in revolutionizing healthcare. With statistics indicating the profound impact of early detection on lung cancer prognosis, this collaboration signifies a relevant step forward in the battle against this formidable disease.&nbsp;

“As founding partner of the Lung Ambition Alliance, AstraZeneca is working with a global coalition to accelerate innovation and deliver meaningful improvements for people with lung cancer, including and beyond treatment.&nbsp; Our pioneering partnership with Qure.ai in the Philippines brings us one step closer in eliminating lung cancer as the top cause of death among cancer types in the Philippines by shaping an end-to-end lung cancer ecosystem solution shifting towards earlier diagnosis and equitable access to cancer care,” said Lotis Ramin, AstraZeneca Philippines Country President.&nbsp;&nbsp;

By streamlining the lung nodule risk identification process, AstraZeneca is taking one step closer to the goal of screening 5 million patients by 2025 as part of the EDISON Alliance's 1 Billion Lives Challenge by 2025. Aventus Medical and Intellicare have been champions in contributing to this endeavour.&nbsp;

Aventus Medical is at the forefront of progress and innovation, consistently championing the adoption of technologies. In a world marked by constant change, Aventus Medical embraces the opportunities of the digital era, moving forward hand-in-hand with the evolving times. By harnessing the power of innovation and adaptability, Aventus Medical ensures that patients receive the highest standard of care, leading to improved healthcare and enhanced quality of life.&nbsp;

“Staying ahead in healthcare technology is central to Aventus Medical's mission, in addition to reimagining patient care for their healthier future. Alongside AstraZeneca and Qure.ai, we are transforming early lung nodule risk screening through AI, pioneering a brighter and healthier tomorrow for patients in the Philippines,” says Dr. Sally Gaspar, Vice President and Medical Director at Aventus.&nbsp;

Furthermore, Intellicare's commitment to holistic healthcare emphasizes the importance of accompanying individuals throughout their health journey, from prevention to early detection, coordinated care, and cure. With Aventus Medical, AstraZeneca, and Qure.ai each contributing their unique expertise to the endeavour, Intellicare underscores the critical importance of collaboration in achieving their shared objectives.&nbsp;

“For Intellicare, holistic healthcare is not just about optimizing strategic partnerships towards a more multidimensional appreciation of one’s health, it also means being able to accompany individuals across their journey – from prevention to early detection, coordinated care and cure- we have to be there for those we serve. Evolving technology and tools will definitely aid us in our objectives. More importantly, though, committed partnerships will see us through our mission. Aventus Medical Care, Inc, through their network of strategically located multispecialty clinics, AstraZeneca, through pharmaceutical interventions, and Qure.ai through AI enhanced lung scans, each brings their own expertise to the table, each plays a critical part in this endeavour”, says Gerry Dela Cruz, Senior Assistant Vice President at Intellicare.&nbsp;&nbsp;

By combining pharmaceutical interventions, AI-enhanced lung scans, and comprehensive healthcare services, the organizations are committed to making a significant impact in the fight against lung cancer. It also sets a remarkable example of how collaboration, innovation, and expertise can create a healthier and more vibrant tomorrow for the people of the Philippines and beyond.&nbsp;

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AstraZeneca, Qure.ai, Aventus and Intellicare Join Forces to Advance Lung Nodule Risk Identification in the Philippines

First of four NHS sites roll out head-CT AI to highlight critical head injury scans&nbsp;&nbsp;

A pioneering new multi-NHS site initiative has gone live, aiming to improve radiology report turnaround times for non-contrast CT head scans by creating prioritised reporting worklists of critical findings. This will allow Emergency Department (ED) clinicians at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow to make faster decisions about the care, management and discharge of patients with head injuries.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The project called ACcEPT (Assess the Clinical Effectiveness in Prioritising CT Heads) commenced at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, the first of four planned NHS sites across the UK, utilising qER, the head CT Artificial Intelligence (AI) solution from Qure.ai. The AI roll-out comes in time to assist with mid-winter frontline accidents &amp; emergency pressures.&nbsp;&nbsp;

In the first initial weeks of the head CT AI implementation over the 2023/24 winter period, qER analysed 651 non-contrast head CTs, detecting 128 head injuries including cranial fractures, intracranial haemorrhage (ICH), mass effect and mid-line shift within the brain. The intracranial pathologies were identified and prioritised by the qER AI solution as critical findings for radiologist review, confirmation, treatment planning and / or discharge out of ED.&nbsp;&nbsp;

“Emergency Departments across the country continue to face challenges over winter with one person presenting at a UK ED every 90 seconds, potentially requiring brain imaging. By utilising the opportunities of innovative AI to help prioritise urgent cases, we will look to deliver critical interventions whilst improving workflow and time in the ED for patients with normal scans. The study looks to provide evidence to support adoption of AI across 4 centres in the UK. We hope this will support clinical teams in decision making to deliver critical clinical care, reassurance and, when appropriate, discharge, releasing capacity and space for patients in our pressured system,” states Professor David Lowe, Professor of Health Innovation at the University of Glasgow and Emergency Medicine Consultant at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Denise Brown, Director of Digital Services at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde states, “It is important to establish reliable evidence on the impact and value of AI solutions, and to determine how they best support clinical decision making. Our Digital Strategy’s Enabled by AI Programme brings together NHS Greater Glasgow &amp; Clyde’s expertise on research, innovation and the operation of AI solutions at scale, while working closely with colleagues in academia.”&nbsp;

Darren Stephens, Senior Vice President &amp; Commercial Head, UK and Europe at Qure.ai states, “This is an exciting step forward for AI in NHS Emergency Departments. Providing digital health tools that can create calm and give informed prioritisation of urgent cases to support stretched clinical teams, especially at night or weekends, is very advantageous. It may help reduce CT scan-to-reporting turnaround times and give rapid alerts of critical findings that will boost the speed of treatment given to patients.”&nbsp;&nbsp;

The ACcEPT qER study is award funded by the NHS AI Lab programme run by the NHS Accelerated Access Collaborative (AAC) in partnership with the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). It aims to evaluate the use of AI to support clinicians analysing the CT scans of patients with head injuries, leading to faster treatments and better outcomes for patients. It will assess the value of the AI tools in situations where there is a shortage of trained radiologists to analyse the scan images, particularly during out-of-hours.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The full ACcEPT collaboration team includes: medical imaging AI innovator, Qure.ai; Hardian Health for health economic evaluation; the University of Glasgow’s Digital Health Validation Lab (DHVL), a Living Laboratory for Precision Medicine project aimed at fast-tracking digital health technologies into clinical settings; West of Scotland Innovation Hub; NHS SafeHaven; NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde; Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust; and Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust.&nbsp;&nbsp;

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Urgent findings from head-CT scans prioritised by AI at    NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to support winter A&E pressures 

Pune: Every month, for the past two years, Dr Rajlakshmi Chepuru and her team go to remote Hukumpeta and Paderu in ASR district of Andhra Pradesh, lugging a 10kg backpack.

They are on a crucial mission screening the most vulnerable and primitive tribal groups in the country for TB with a 1.8kg handheld X-ray device that scans around 100 suspected tuberculosis patients and detects lesions.

The next day, they deliver these X-rays to the nearest radiologist or doctor for examination. When the lesions are confirmed, the state machinery follows it up with the mandatory sputum test, Dr Rajyalakshmi, associate professor in community medicine, at Gitam Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, said.

The team is part of Indian Council for Medical Research's ( ICMR) tribal TB management programme, a multi-centric study that will be carried out in the country, including Visakhapatnam and Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh, and in Madhya Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Odisha, and Meghalaya.

Dr Rajlakshmi said, “Earlier, tribal people would have to go to the nearest medical college or district hospital to undergo the scan and sputum collection, before treatment could be started. Now, we are going to the community and taking on-the-spot scans. This is a remote area and for them to go to the hospital would mean losing a day’s wages. So, their first preference is the traditional healers.”

The new handheld devices to detect TB appear to be changing the game. “We can take about 100-150 scans in a single day, connect it to our laptop camera and digitize the X-ray. If we have a network connection, we send them to the radiologist or doctor who gives the image diagnosis. When the lesions are confirmed, we reach out to the state TB team. A sputum test is conducted and then the treatment begins,” Dr Rajlakshmi said.

Across the country, innovations by health startups, especially those powered by AI, are catching up to crush TB. As per US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, TB can be traced back to 9,000 years, but despite eradication of polio and smallpox, it remains a challenge.

In the past eight years, India’s TB notifications have gone up. As per the central TB division’s Nikshay portal, in 2017, there were 17.45 lakh notifications which went up in 2023 to 25.48 lakh. There has been a year-on-year increase across the country in the past decade.

Given the high burden in the country, health startups have jumped into the race to collaborate with state govts and ICMR to eradicate TB.

In Mon district of Nagaland, Dr James Tinenlo Katiwa, the district TB officer uses the qure.ai’s qXR, an AI-enabled scanning tool that needs no radiologist.

The district is sandwiched between Assam and Myanmar and the Konyak Nagas of Mon and the Nagas of Myanmar are homogenous communities. The porous border means patients trickle in from Myanmar as well.

Dr Tinenlo said with the qXR app he uses his cellphone camera to convert the X-ray into a digital one which the app analyses and concludes if the X-ray is suggestive of TB or not.

"We then begin treatment. Since the past two years, the app has helped us find our missing TB cases and patients have responded well to treatment. We can assume that the app is working well for us,” he added.

Only those with symptoms or with the sputum test through NAAT testing and those tested for TB are referred for the X-ray analysis. These could be the close contacts of the TB positive patients and as part of clinical diagnosis, treatment starts.

“When the network connection is good, the analysis is completed in less than a minute, when it is slow it takes up to three minutes,” Dr Tinenlo said.

In Tamil Nadu, Deeptek’s ‘Genki’ is helping find missing TB cases. State TB officials said that the AI supported mobile diagnostic unit is retrofitted with a digital X-ray machine.

It operates in six districts of Tamil Nadu, including Tirunelveli. “Since October 2022, of the 98,000 X-rays taken, some 14,500 were suggestive of TB by the AI technology. Till February 2024, 606 TB cases were diagnosed in the community across the six districts,” project in-charge Dr K Ravishankar, consultant for the state TB centre, said.

He added that they were diagnosing missing TB cases, sometimes even before the symptoms could occur. “However, Genki is only a screening tool. While selecting these six districts we looked at a combination of high and low prevalence and a mix of geographical locations. Over a period, we have noted that false negatives are nominal as the sensitivity of the scan is high,” he added.

Dr Brajaraj Sunder Ghosh, scientific consultant with ICMR, said that various research projects have been taken up in TB diagnostics, therapeutics, vaccines, and implementation research.

The Tribal TB project was started in 2022 for a specific population in nine states. As per a recent survey, of the total tribal population in India, 10.6% suffer from TB, five times more than the general prevalence in the country.

For the tribal population, it is not just a clinical condition but has social stigmas too. Their poor housing conditions, poor nutrition and substance addiction makes it a bigger challenge.

Dr Ghosh said they are working on reducing the drug regime from two years to two-four months depending on the drug sensitivity or resistance to cut the burden of TB on the public healthcare system.

Panchayat leaders, community leaders and traditional healers are all part of the plan. “Our intention is to create this as a model and use it in other states with such challenging communities,” he added.

Experts agree that TB eradication needs innovation in diagnosis, finding missing and suspected TB cases to faster results. The next step is detecting drug-resistant TB cases to which Goa has found a solution.

Doctors here have been using Molbio Diagnostics's portable Truenat MTB and Truenat MTB-RIF Dx kits to determine if the patient is suffering from drug-sensitive TB or drug-resistant TB.

Goa State TB Officer Dr Manish Gaunekar said they were the first to start using Molbio Diagnostics's Truenat and CBNAAT in Dec 2022 for diagnostics.

“It is a better and more sensitive test as it also indicates rifampicin resistance, which is the first line of treatment for TB as per guidelines. We have set up testing in all our 40 TB sites, CBNAAT is available at Govt Medical College, TB Hospital and South Goa district hospital. All remaining sites have Truenat,” he said.

As they directly go for NAAT, false negatives have gone down, which helps them decide the first line of treatment for the first contacts of the TB patients which prevents its spread, he added.

<a href="https://health.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/new-devices-some-with-ai-make-tb-detection-easier-to-help-check-spread/108746284#:~:text=State%20TB%20officials%20said%20that,TB%20by%20the%20AI%20technology.">Courtesy</a>

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New Devices, Some With AI, Make TB Detection Easier, To Help Check Spread

Mumbai/Kozhikode, 19 March 2024: Qure.ai, a leading artificial intelligence solution provider for medical imaging, has announced its newest deployment in Aster MIMS Hospital, Kozhikode, to enhance stroke care and diagnosis. This collaboration introduces an innovative AI-powered Hub (Aster MIMS) &amp; Spoke (periphery hospitals) model for timely diagnosis and better care coordination for stroke-suspected patients across its spoke sites.&nbsp;&nbsp;

The key innovation at the heart of this hub and spoke model is Qure.ai's qER suite of solutions, an AI-enabled head CT solution deployed in conjunction with the Qure App care platform. Qure’s qER is capable of processing CT scans in less than three minutes, and the Qure app plays a crucial role in relaying real-time patient information and radiology images to multi-disciplinary teams at the hub site (Aster MIMS). This is especially crucial during suspected stroke cases, expediting life-saving interventions.&nbsp;

The Hub &amp; Spoke model envisions resource-challenged spoke hospitals connected to a central hub hospital, optimizing healthcare infrastructure utilization and facilitating seamless care coordination. As part of this collaboration, Aster MIMS Calicut, the hub hospital, will be connected with 4 spoke hospitals located on the peripheries of Kozhikode. Aster MIMS anticipates treating an annual influx of approximately 1500 stroke patients across the network, including 600 patients from the connected spoke sites.&nbsp;

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Dr. Ashraj V V, Sr. consultant and Director at Aster Institute of Neurosciences, said, “Stroke is a major health concern for every individual irrespective of their age. The AI-powered Hub &amp; Spoke model is a promising technology that ensures timely treatment for stroke patients. Qure.ai's care coordination app facilitates effective collaboration between healthcare professionals across the Hub &amp; Spoke network and helps in optimizing healthcare infrastructure.”&nbsp;

Dr. Abdurehiman KP, Sr. Consultant and Head of Neurology at Aster MIMS Calicut, said, “I’m very happy to be part of this newest deployment in Aster MIMS Hospital, Kozhikode, that advances stroke care and diagnosis. AI has upgraded many aspects of our lives, and healthcare is one of them. Qure.ai's AI-enabled head CT solution helps in faster stroke diagnosis and their care coordination app significantly reduces the Turnaround Time (TAT) for interventions through real-time case notifications and alerts across the Hub &amp; Spoke network.”&nbsp;

This initiative promises to revolutionize stroke care in resource-constrained settings by leveraging advanced medical imaging technology, enhancing the speed and accuracy of diagnosis, and facilitating effective collaboration between healthcare professionals across the Hub &amp; Spoke network.&nbsp;

Highlighting the significance of the partnership, Prashant Warier, CEO &amp; Co-Founder of Qure.ai, said, “Deploying our solutions at a super-speciality hospital like Aster MIMS, Kozhikode, is a stepping stone to making advanced healthcare accessible for some of India’s most remote locations. This model of deployment is a testament to AI’s potential for bridging the healthcare gap in India. This is a significant step towards battling the stroke care burden in India and a step closer to our vision of making healthcare accessible and affordable to everyone.”&nbsp;

qER, an advanced deep-learning software, screens head CT scans to identify intracranial haemorrhages and infarcts for prioritized clinical review, providing anatomical location identification and quantification, and ASPECTS scoring for stroke severity. qER also facilitates the identification of Large Vessel Occlusion on CT Angiography, aiding patient selection for Mechanical Thrombectomy, which would otherwise be delayed or missed. It offers a priority flag for critical cases, an overlay highlighting abnormal findings, and detailed reports quantifying abnormalities. qER is FDA, CE MDR cleared, with approval from multiple national regulators. The Qure App facilitates critical care coordination with timely alerts.

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Aster MIMS Kozhikode goes live with Qure.ai’s AI-enabled stroke care solution

<a href="https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/ai-based-tool-boosting-incidental-tuberculosis-findings-in-india-124030300292_1.html">Qure.ai and India Health Fund's qXR tool leading better TB notifications</a>

Artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm-based tuberculosis (TB) screening is leading to a jump in notifications and helping identify 30-40 per cent more incidental cases that would have been left undiagnosed in India, a country with a large share of the worldwide burden of the infectious disease.

Mumbai-based startup Qure.ai, which provides AI-based solutions for medical imaging and diagnostics, and <a href="https://www.qure.ai/partners/ihf-partnership">India Health Fund (IHF)</a> have deployed <a href="https://www.qure.ai/product/qxr">qXR</a>, a tool for TB screening, across 139 health facilities in India since February 2020. Qure.ai has screened 120,031 individuals so far.

IHF, a not-for-profit organisation, was set up as a collaborative initiative of Tata Trusts and The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

“We realised there were not enough radiologists who could read the X-rays in a lot of remote sites. We brought in AI to automatically read a chest X-ray. To detect TB on a chest X-ray one can actually depend on an algorithm to read it, without needing a radiologist,” Prashant Warier, chief executive officer (CEO) and co-founder of Qure.ai, told Business Standard.

qXR was one of the three AI algorithms that the World Health Organization had referenced to in its March 2021 TB screening guidelines.

Warrier explained that one can use AI to immediately interpret an X-ray scan and get diagnosed the same day rather than wait for a report.

“Notifications have increased substantially with the help of AI. Lost and follow-up cases are minimised. By the time results are ready, we lose many patients as some travel long distances as well. The notifications have increased by 30-40 per cent if we see data from Mumbai, or places in Rajasthan,” he said.

Madhav Joshi, CEO of IHF, cites the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai’s (MCGM) example as a game changer.

“It started with analysing X-rays of patients who had come for TB tests. Then it was extended to patients who were seeking other treatments as well. Now, MCGM is getting about 20 per cent of their cases from those who had not come for TB diagnosis or treatment,” Joshi said, pointing out that Mumbai has a high TB load.

Incidental findings, too, have increased.

About 35 percent of TB findings are now incidental in MCGM. Around 40 percent of TB cases are estimated to be asymptomatic. MCGM accelerated its efforts to eliminate TB by conducting case finding of asymptomatic or subclinical TB patients using AI-aided chest X-ray-based surveillance in peripheral hospitals.

Through this, over 100,000 individuals have been screened till date across seven MCGM hospitals.

Based on an analysis of a representative sample of over 1,000 patients screened across four hospitals, out of which 141 were confirmed as TB cases, it was found that 35 per cent them (50 out of 141) came from non-TB pathways such as orthopaedic, gynaecology, pre-surgical chest X-rays and casualty. There is also one mobile screening van catering to 24 wards within Mumbai city. Around 26 per cent of the patients flagged as TB presumptive by AI were confirmed cases.

Around 64 per cent of the patients (out of those who provided residence information) were urban slum-dwellers. Peripheral hospitals observed a 12 per cent increase in TB notifications compared to previous years, Qure.ai said.

The project has touched lives in remote parts of the country, too. In Mon, Nagaland, qXR-enabled TB screening has cut down time to get results.

James Tinenlo, district TB officer in Mon, said, “Owing to the lack of trained radiologists, we had to go for teleconsultation or consult other doctors earlier. But this AI tool has helped in reducing the time to get results.” He added that when internet connectivity is good, the results are known in a minute; even otherwise the results take only around 3 minutes.

Qure.ai says that with the introduction of qXR, TB notifications have improved across three hospitals in Chhattisgarh (District Hospital Dantewada, and Community Health Centres in Bhanupratappur and Chhindgarh). “Overall, positive notifications from these hospitals increased by over 100 per cent between 2022 and 2023, within a span of months from August to December. Around 14 per cent of the identified positive cases were asymptomatic, where patients showed no discernible TB symptoms upon arrival at the hospital,” Qure.ai.

In Bellary, Karnataka, district TB officer Indrani Vokuda pointed out that between November 2022 and April 2023 around 752 chest X-rays were uploaded, of which 480 were abnormal, and 382 were sent for sputum sampling. Around 75 positive cases were detected among them, indicating 21 per cent positivity.

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Artificial intelligence game changer in tracking cases of tuberculosis

Mumbai, 4th March 2024: Qure.ai, a leading AI-driven medical imaging solutions provider, announced its latest hub &amp; spoke network deployment at CMC Hospital, Ludhiana in partnership with Medtronic (India Medtronic Pvt. Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Medtronic plc). This initiative aims to elevate stroke care and diagnosis in Punjab. The innovative Hub-and-Spoke model, where CMC Ludhiana serves as the central hub and periphery hospitals as spokes is one of the many crucial deployments across the country.&nbsp;&nbsp;

As part of the collaboration, CMC Ludhiana will establish a network of spoke hospitals across Punjab to create an efficient network of periphery hospitals, connected to the central hub, giving every connected spoke site, equal access to the state-of-the-art neurocritical care team function at CMC Ludhiana. CMC Ludhiana is the first Advanced stroke center certified by the World Stroke Organization. Moreover, it is also a Collaborating Center of Excellence for stroke research under the Indian Council of Medical Research.&nbsp;

Stroke is a medical emergency that occurs when there is a sudden interruption of blood flow to a part of the brain. This interruption can be caused by either a blockage in the blood vessels (ischemic stroke) or the rupture of blood vessels (haemorrhagic stroke). Time to treatment is a critical element in determining the patient outcome in case of stroke. The "golden window" in stroke treatment is often between 4 to 6 hours after the onset of stroke symptoms. This is a critical window during which medical interventions like thrombolysis and mechanical thrombectomy are most effective.&nbsp;

At the heart of the collaboration lies Qure.ai’s AI-enabled head CT solution – qER. The deep learning-based software has the ability to process the CT scan and provide comprehensive findings within 3 minutes. The network of hub &amp; spoke is established on the care coordination platform – Qure App, facilitating seamless coordination between hub &amp; spokes. When a suspected stroke patient is admitted to a spoke hospital, qER swiftly processes their CT scan using AI. In the event of critical findings, a real-time alert is promptly sent to the hub site's specialized stroke team along with annotated findings on the CT scan, facilitating seamless communication between the hub and spoke teams via the Qure App. In case of advanced interventions like thrombectomy, the spoke team is promptly guided to transfer the patient to the hub site. The benefits are clear: faster triaging, access to real-time information, and seamless hub &amp; spokes coordination. &nbsp;

Dr. Jeyaraj Pandian, President-Elect, World Stroke Organization, and Principal (Dean) and Professor of Neurology, Christian Medical College, Ludhiana said, “Stroke is preventable and treatable, and the key lies in timely intervention. Our collaboration with <a href="http://www.qure.ai/" target="_blank">Qure.ai</a> and Medtronic signifies a major leap forward in redefining stroke care by harnessing the power of artificial intelligence. The hub and spoke model that we have adopted will transform how we approach stroke management, enabling swift, efficient, and life-saving interventions.”&nbsp;

The capability and availability of hospitals, especially those with specialized stroke units are fragmented across most parts of India. Often, the periphery hospitals lack neurocritical resources that can aid in faster diagnosis and treatment of stroke cases. This can be detrimental to the patient's prognosis and their quality of life.&nbsp;

Christian Medical College (CMC), Ludhiana, anticipates an annual footfall of hundreds of stroke patients at its spoke sites, reinforcing its commitment to delivering accessible and comprehensive healthcare services. Furthermore, they have also conducted a thorough analysis of patient demographics that revealed an average age of 59 ± 15 years and a predominantly middle-class socioeconomic background. This data underscores CMC's dedication to tailoring healthcare solutions to the specific needs of its community. Additionally, the network's potential coverage area extends to the Ludhiana district, reflecting its strategic approach to ensuring healthcare accessibility across a wide geographic region.&nbsp;

Michael Blackwell, VP &amp; MD, Medtronic India said, “Time is brain when stroke affects a patient. Having access to a stroke-ready center, speedy diagnosis and treatment can save many lives. At Medtronic, our aim is to support an ecosystem where healthcare has no limits and technology can be leveraged to address rapidly evolving patient needs. Our collaboration with Qure to advance stroke care in many locations across India is a step in that direction.”&nbsp;

Emphasizing the partnership's importance, Prashant Warier, CEO &amp; Co-Founder, Qure.ai, stated, "The deployment of our solution in collaboration with Medtronic at a specialized institution like CMC Ludhiana signifies a pivotal step in expanding cutting-edge healthcare services to the furthest corners of India. This unique deployment approach underscores the profound impact of artificial intelligence in narrowing the healthcare gaps within the nation. It stands as a remarkable leap towards easing the challenges of stroke care in our country and propels us closer to our overarching goal of making healthcare accessible and cost-effective for everyone." &nbsp;

qER, an advanced deep-learning software, utilizes cutting-edge technology to analyse head CT scans, pinpointing intracranial haemorrhages and infarcts for prioritized clinical assessment. The software offers crucial features such as anatomical location identification, precise quantification of ICH and infarct volumes, and ASPECTS scoring to assess stroke severity. Additionally, qER efficiently identifies Large Vessel Obstruction on CT Angiography, aiding in the selection of patients for Mechanical Thrombectomy, a crucial intervention that might otherwise be delayed or overlooked. The software includes a priority flag for critical cases, an overlay highlighting abnormal findings, and comprehensive reports that quantify detected abnormalities. qER is FDA, CE MDR cleared, with approval from multiple national regulators. The Qure App facilitates critical care coordination with timely alerts. &nbsp;

FDA certification link: <a href="https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfpmn/pmn.cfm?ID=K200921" target="_blank">https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfpmn/pmn.cfm?ID=K200921</a> &nbsp;

Patient demographics study in Ludhiana :&nbsp;

<a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2396987317724052" target="_blank">https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2396987317724052</a>&nbsp;

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