FDA clears software for enhancing CT, MR and X-ray images

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has cleared new image processing software to help providers interpret MR, CT and X-ray scans, officials announced Tuesday.

Claritas HealthTech’s iRAD does so by enhancing images using noise-reduction techniques and improving contrast and entropy. The Singapore-based artificial intelligence firm claims its product can “significantly” bolster quality without altering or degrading images, potentially helping docs diagnose faster and reduce bottlenecks.

In an announcement, the company said it hopes to enter the U.S. market through partnerships with leading medical institutions. Laszlo Neumann, Claritas’ director of research and development, expects iRAD to serve as the foundation for future AI products that will follow. The product integrates into existing picture archiving and communication systems, with enhancement executed on-site or the cloud.

Marty Stempniak

Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic. 

Around the web

The nuclear imaging isotope shortage of molybdenum-99 may be over now that the sidelined reactor is restarting. ASNC's president says PET and new SPECT technologies helped cardiac imaging labs better weather the storm.

CMS has more than doubled the CCTA payment rate from $175 to $357.13. The move, expected to have a significant impact on the utilization of cardiac CT, received immediate praise from imaging specialists.

The all-in-one Omni Legend PET/CT scanner is now being manufactured in a new production facility in Waukesha, Wisconsin.