SimonMed collaborates with women's health AI company to improve MRI diagnoses
SimonMed and Matricis.ai are collaborating on a pilot study to test an artificial intelligence-enabled platform that was designed to improve the diagnosis of endometriosis.
Matricis.ai is a healthcare technology company that specializes in developing AI solutions for gynecological imaging. EndomAI is its flagship AI platform that was developed to support radiologists in detecting endometriosis on MRI scans.
Endometriosis is a chronic, painful condition that causes tissue to grow outside of the uterus, often around the ovaries and fallopian tubes. It affects about 10% of women, but can be difficult to diagnose, with some data suggesting it can take between 7 to 10 years for women to get an official diagnosis. Not only is the condition painful, but it can impact fertility as well, further emphasizing the need for improved diagnosis.
EndomAI aims to address these challenges via standardized, disease-specific reporting templates and outputs, decision support and follow-up care recommendations. The platform helps radiologists map the distribution and extent of lesions on MR imaging, helping in surgical planning and outcomes.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recently updated its guidelines on the diagnosis and management of endometriosis. Those guidelines highlight MRI as a critical diagnostic tool.
“A decade-long diagnostic delay for endometriosis is unacceptable in modern medicine, and AI has the potential to change that,” Raphaelle Taub, CEO and co-founder of Matricis.ai, said in a statement. “The latest ACOG guidelines, recognizing MRI as a key tool for characterizing endometriosis, mark an important turning point for the field. Our collaboration with SimonMed allows us to bring AI directly into clinical radiology workflows and accelerate the adoption of advanced imaging in women’s health.”
By partnering with SimonMed—one of the largest outpatient imaging operators in the U.S.—Matricis.ai will gain access to a network of MRI providers and radiologists who can test the EndomAI platform. During the initial pilot phase of the study, patients with suspected edometriosis will undergo an MRI at one of SimonMed’s centers. Radiologists interpreting the exams will do so with the help of the platform, and experts will analyze how its use affects diagnostic consistency, lesion detection and radiologist confidence.
“This clinical pilot represents a key milestone in the clinical validation and commercial deployment of our technology,” added Taub. “It validates our technology in one of the largest imaging networks in the United States and positions us to accelerate regulatory approval and commercial deployment.”
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In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.