Cutting-Edge AI Software Detects Gastrointestinal Lesions in Real Time during Colonoscopy Procedures

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the primary causes of cancer-related deaths. Early detection is vital for preventing and reducing the disease's development and mortality rate. Currently, colonoscopy is the most common, effective, and recommended screening test for early CRC detection. This procedure involves the insertion of an endoscope, with a camera attached, through the rectum to inspect the entire length of the colon for abnormalities such as polyps or other precancerous growths. However, presently, 20-30% of polyps are overlooked during these exams, often leading to late-stage interval cancer.

To assist physicians during colonoscopies and enhance the detection rate of polyps and adenomas (a type of polyp), Magentiq Eye Ltd. (Haifa, Israel) has developed the MAGENTIQ-COLO system composed of both hardware and software components. The system, which includes a mobile cart that receives the real-time video feed from the endoscopic camera, highlights suspected polyp regions on the primary video screen, alerting the endoscopist who can then magnify the area and decide if tissue removal is necessary. It also offers the capability to record the procedure video alongside the system's detections for later offline review. Snapshots with the system's highlighted regions can also be captured.

Additionally, the MAGENTIQ-COLO software can also function offline for use on pre-recorded colonoscopy videos. It can either run on a compatible PC or from the cloud, uploading videos from a predefined library and scanning each one for overlooked polyps. The software displays detections and other metrics while playing the original video, producing an edited version with detection bounding boxes. A text report with snapshots is also generated. Currently, this software is employed only for internal development and support and is not commercially available.

A comprehensive study conducted in 2022, involving 29 endoscopy experts from 10 prominent medical centers and over 950 patients, confirmed MAGENTIQ-COLO as one of the top-performing AI solutions in the field. It increased the Adenoma Detection Rate (ADR) by 26% relatively (7% in absolute values), resulting in a 21% decrease in CRC incidence and a 35% reduction in patient mortality. Following its European CE Mark and Israel AMAR approval received in mid-2021, MAGENTIQ-COLO has now gained 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

"FDA clearance is a major milestone, and we are very proud to join only a handful of companies in the field of AI-aided colonoscopy to be granted clearance. Our next step will be to pursue opportunities in the U.S. market as we look forward to increasing the accuracy of detecting early signs of CRC and taking part in saving the lives of thousands of Americans," says Dror Zur, founder and CEO of MAGENTIQ-EYE. "Although the sense of accomplishment is strong, I believe this is only the tip of the iceberg for AI in gastroenterology, so stay tuned for new products and features from us coming soon."

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Magentiq Eye Ltd.