EDMONTON, Alberta, June 16, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MEDO.ai, an artificial intelligence technology start-up company dual headquartered in Edmonton, Canada, and Singapore, is pleased to announce that it has received 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the world’s first tool using Artificial Intelligence to detect hip dysplasia. ARIA (Automated Real-time Intelligent Assistant) automatically reviews hip ultrasound images, selects the optimal image to calculate standard measurements, and assists clinicians in classification and diagnosis of hips as normal or dysplastic.
Dr. Dornoosh Zonoobi, co-founder and CEO of MEDO.ai, notes that: “With this innovation, MEDO gives clinicians the ability to quickly and accurately use ultrasound to diagnose hip dysplasia during routine infant check-ups, paving the way towards universal screening.”
Hip dysplasia affects ~1% of the population and if untreated, leads to osteoarthritis in the hip and often to hip replacement surgery - frequently before the age of 40. Hip dysplasia leads to compromised quality of life with pain and suffering for millions of people, and large costs for the healthcare system. Fortunately, if detected within the first 6 months of life, hip dysplasia is highly treatable with a simple harness. MEDO’s innovation facilitates detection of hip dysplasia, at scale, when it can be treated effectively, preventing hip arthritis..
MEDO’s AI and 3D-based technology has been scientifically shown to not only be as accurate in diagnosing hip dysplasia as expert radiologists, but to be much easier for novice users to acquire and interpret these scans than conventional approaches. This, combined with the low cost, portable, and non-invasive nature of ultrasound yields a powerful tool with potential to combat hip dysplasia and avoid many thousands of preventable hip replacements.
An ultimate goal at MEDO is to have every infant scanned for this condition near birth, thereby preventing a lifetime of morbidity and suffering for millions of people every year. MEDO’s AI technology has been successfully piloted in hospital systems and workflows across several countries and this regulatory achievement is a crucial and exciting step towards this goal. As MEDO’s first 510(k) FDA clearance, this milestone also paves the way for future regulatory approvals to support use of artificial intelligence-augmented ultrasound currently under development for many other clinical problems. Dr. Zonoobi concludes: “This FDA approval puts ultrasound one step closer to becoming the 21st century stethoscope.”
About MEDO.ai
MEDO is an artificial intelligence technology start-up company dual headquartered in Edmonton, Canada and Singapore. MEDO builds cutting edge artificial intelligence that pairs with ultrasound devices to facilitate novice users' ability to detect common and critical conditions, even in remote and rural areas. MEDO believes that such technology will transform ultrasound for the 21st century. For more information, visit https://medo.ai/.
Media Inquiries:
David Quail
Email: david@medo.ai
Phone: 780.238.4268