Medtronic partners with Viz.ai to accelerate adoption of new AI software

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viz ai medtronic partnershipMedtronic and Viz.ai have partnered to accelerate the adoption of Viz.ai’s new technology, which helps synchronise stroke care and decrease time to treatment, potentially improving outcomes for patients.

Viz.ai’s technology uses artificial intelligence (AI) to identify suspected large vessel occlusion (LVO) strokes and automatically notify specialists. The Viz.ai software connects to hospital computed tomography (CT) scanners and alerts stroke specialists within minutes that a suspected LVO stroke has been identified, sending the radiological images directly to their smart phones where they can be viewed. Viz.ai enables a physician to provide the patient with the treatment they need as quickly as possible.

“Medtronic is an innovative company focused on therapies that extend life and restore health,” said Chris Mansi, neurosurgeon, co-founder and CEO of Viz.ai. “As the largest medical device company in the world, Medtronic is an ideal partner to help physicians access Viz.ai’s cutting-edge technology to ensure as many patients get the care they need as quickly as possible.”

Stroke is a serious and time-sensitive medical condition that requires emergency care and can cause lasting brain damage, long-term disability and death. A stroke occurs if the flow of oxygen-rich blood to a portion of the brain is blocked. When this happens two million brain cells die every minute. It is the number-one cause of disability in the USA and the leading cause of death outside of the USA.

“Viz.ai allows clinicians to receive an alert for suspected LVO’s and the corresponding visual data” said Elad Levy, chairman in the Department of Neurosurgery with the University at Buffalo’s Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and medical director of Neuroendovascular Services at Gates Vascular Institute. “The combination of AI powered alerts, mobile image viewing, and HIPAA compliant communication facilitates synchronisation of stroke care with great potential to impactfully reduce door-to-needle time and help an increased number of patients.”

Every two minutes someone in the USA has an LVO, but only an estimated 15% receive a potentially lifesaving mechanical thrombectomy, a minimally-invasive procedure that removes blood clots. A Viz.ai study in two centres showed that in 95.5% of true positive cases, its technology alerted the stroke specialist earlier than the standard of care, saving an average of 52 minutes.

“We are excited about this partnership because Viz.ai’s technology has the potential to significantly reduce the time it takes for patients suspected of LVO stroke to receive the care they need,” said Stacey Pugh, vice president and general manager of Medtronic’s Neurovascular business, which is part of the Restorative Therapies Group at Medtronic. “Viz.ai’s software coupled with our network is going to increase access to needed therapies.”

Through this agreement, Medtronic will distribute Viz.ai’s existing LVO detection and triage software services, which are currently permitted for marketing in the US. It was the first clinical decision support software designed to analyse CT results that may notify providers of a potential stroke in their patients cleared by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The technology is available in over 200 hospitals, with the goal of making Viz.ai available to every stroke centre in the country.


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