World first | AI-driven 3D breast ultrasounds
Abdul Latif Jameel Health, part of international diversified family business, Abdul Latif Jameel, has announced a new distribution agreement with iSono Health, a medical technology company in San Francisco, USA, with the vision to transform breast care with automated imaging and artificial intelligence (AI).
Source: Supplied. Akram Bouchenaki, chief executive officer of Abdul Latif Jameel Health; Maryam Ziaei, founder and chief executive officer of iSono Health, and Shadi Saberi at Arab Health.
The partnership, announced on the first day of Arab Health 2023, the Middle East’s most influential healthcare event, will see Abdul Latif Jameel Health become the exclusive distributor of iSono Health’s Atusa scanner in the Global South, making it available to hundreds of millions of women in an initial 31 countries covering the Middle East and North Africa, Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
The female-founded iSono Health is transforming breast imaging with a first-of-its-kind, compact automated whole breast ultrasound system featuring a unique wearable accessory and an intuitive, intelligent software for automated image acquisition and analysis.
The patented and FDA-cleared Atusa system is a compact ultrasound scanner that captures 3D images through automated scanning of the whole breast in just two minutes, independent of operator expertise.
Real-time image acquisition
The device connects to laptop or tablet for real-time image acquisition and 3D visualisation; the data is transferred to a secure cloud for storage.
The Atusa system is designed from ground up to seamlessly integrate with machine-learning models that will give physicians a comprehensive set of tools for decision making and patient management.
Maryam Ziaei, founder and chief executive officer of iSono Health, said: “This new partnership is a significant milestone in our history and an important step forward in making our Atusa scanner accessible to millions more women across the world.
"Working with Abdul Latif Jameel Health will empower so many more women to access the healthcare they need, to improve patient experiences and to bring peace of mind.
“We have been able to develop a scanner which takes two minutes to scan and makes breast imaging painless and convenient. We’re very much looking forward to bringing this technology to the region and making a lasting, sustainable impact.”
According to the World Health Organization, breast cancer is the world’s most prevalent cancer. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime. Access to personalised and efficient breast imaging is critical in every step of patient journey from screening to detection to treatment, surgery, and monitoring.
State-of-the-art diagnostics
The Atusa system is designed to offer enhanced efficiency, consistent accuracy, and a comfortable patient experience, therefore making 3D breast ultrasound imaging accessible to patients and physicians at point of care, around the world.
The agreement will see Abdul Latif Jameel Health distribute the Atusa scanner across the Middle East and North Africa as well as African markets including South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria, in addition to South Asia covering India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal, and Southeast Asian territories of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand and Brunei.
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Akram Bouchenaki, chief executive officer of Abdul Latif Jameel Health said: “Working with Maryam Ziaei, and Shadi Saberi, co-founders with PhDs in engineering, and the whole iSono Health team has made it clear what a perfect synergy we share in our vision to improve access to healthcare, eliminate the disparity in health equity across the world, and how using state-of-the-art health tech will help us achieve these goals.
"Their Atusa scanner is one of the most innovative pieces of technology I have witnessed in my career, and I know it will very soon become one of the most valuable products used by physicians and for healthcare systems.
"This is an important moment for those in medical imaging but more importantly for women’s health across the Global South.”
Driving health inclusivity
Last year, Abdul Latif Jameel Health announced the creation of its new international commercial ecosystem, helping to accelerate access to modern medical care and drive health inclusivity across the Global South.
The network of confirmed partners will cover key markets across a wide geographic area and will see on-the-ground distribution of Abdul Latif Jameel Health approved products into hospitals, clinics and medical institutions to fast-track health inclusion for those who need it most.
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Bouchenaki added: “At Abdul Latif Jameel Health, we are delivering on our promise of offering an integrated ‘one-stop’ managed service of medical devices, pharmaceutical products, and offering diagnostic and therapeutics manufacturers multi-market access more rapidly than they could manage individually.
"We will distribute these products to the populations that can most benefit from them sooner, meeting unmet medical needs, driving healthcare inclusivity, and in parallel, opening the unrealised commercial potential of these markets.”
Strong partnerships
Since its launch in 2020, Abdul Latif Jameel Health has developed strong relationships with renowned health partners utilising innovation and industry disruptive approaches to deliver healthcare in more efficient ways.
Partners include Butterfly Network, EQRx, Cyberdyne, Evelo Biosciences, Melody International, Holoeyes and now, iSono Health.
Abdul Latif Jameel Health was created as a response to the ongoing global disparity in access to modern medical care, focusing on accelerating healthcare inclusion across the Global South.
Reflecting the Jameel family’s long-established commitment to innovating for a better future, Abdul Latif Jameel Health works in the commercial environment to address tangible real-world needs today, for a better tomorrow.
It works with partners from around the world to open and grow new markets for distribution of existing solutions and investing in the future of medtech.
