FUJIFILM today announced that the company’s Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based lung nodule detection technology— an algorithm developed to assist diagnostic imaging by automatically detecting lung nodules in chest computed tomography (CT) scans— has been cleared by the Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Act (The Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Act is a law concerning the assurance of quality, efficacy and safety of pharmaceuticals and medical devices). The algorithm detects lung nodules, which appear as white shadows in the lung on an X-ray or CT scan, and identifies them for physicians to further evaluate as they may indicate lung cancer or other diseases. The algorithm will be released in Japan on June 1, 2020 through FUJIFILM Medical Co.
The technology uses Fujifilm’s 3D analysis technology to deliver a more detailed view, allowing physicians to better understand the nodule’s location in areas that would be difficult to identify with cross-sectional CT images alone. It features “organ recognition technology” which is used to identify the pulmonary region before searching for nodule candidates, enabling the detection of nodules adjacent to the chest wall. Physicians can also leverage a lesion tracking function to efficiently monitor the progression of lesions and nodules. Fujifilm plans to introduce the technology in the United States, Europe and other markets once required regulatory clearances are obtained.
