USA – GE HealthCare has entered into a transformative partnership with imaging provider RadNet to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into breast cancer screening, aiming to enhance diagnostic speed, accuracy, and accessibility in radiology.
This collaboration will launch with the development of SmartMammo, an AI-driven mammography software created by RadNet’s DeepHealth subsidiary.
The innovative software can assess breast cancer risk and flag high-priority scans, streamlining the diagnostic workflow for healthcare providers.
RadNet’s CEO of digital health, Kees Wesdorp, expressed optimism for the partnership, stating, “By combining our pioneering cloud-native operating system, DeepHealth OS, and our AI-powered health informatics portfolio with GE HealthCare’s cutting-edge imaging technology, we are poised to revolutionize large-scale diagnostic and screening programs, streamline radiology workflows, and improve patient outcomes.”
SmartMammo will require certain regulatory approvals, such as the FDA’s 510(k) clearance, to be used with GE HealthCare’s Senographe Pristina mammography system.
Together, GE HealthCare and RadNet plan to create a suite of SmartTechnology solutions, with the goal of transforming radiology processes through improved efficiency and accuracy.
By integrating these capabilities directly into mammography hardware, the technology can function with just a power source and internet connection, making it feasible for use in non-traditional screening locations, including Walmart and shopping malls.
Highlighting this expansion, RadNet CEO Howard Berger said, “The capabilities of the AI solutions, both clinical and generative, will be embedded onto the gantry of the GE mammography system. This system will allow us to plug and play…to essentially make this function in the same way that a patient coming into a RadNet center would experience.”
Berger emphasized that this collaboration is opening doors to a “substantially larger” screening market beyond conventional locations.
Towards personalized breast care with enhanced AI capabilities
In addition to expanding screening locations, GE HealthCare and RadNet aim to make personalized, patient-centered breast care a reality.
The companies see AI as a vital tool for this effort, supporting everything from early detection and risk prediction to more efficient workflows and reduced callback rates.
Roland Rott, GE HealthCare’s president of imaging, commented on the promise of AI, saying, “As we look to make more personalized, patient-centered breast care a reality—AI continues to show great promise in breast cancer screening from early detection and risk prediction, to reduced callbacks and more efficient workflows for breast imaging providers.”
RadNet is not stopping with mammography. In the future, the company plans to integrate other DeepHealth AI solutions with GE HealthCare’s imaging systems across multiple medical areas.
Additionally, RadNet recently acquired U.K.-based Kheiron Medical Technologies, which focuses on AI solutions for mammography, adding further depth to its AI portfolio.
RadNet’s CEO expects to roll out the SmartMammo systems with GE HealthCare’s support in the first quarter of 2025.
Further upgrades to enhance viewing and resolution are anticipated once FDA approval is received, possibly as early as the second quarter.
This collaboration builds on GE’s recent AI-focused acquisitions, such as Intelligent Ultrasound and Caption Health, and signals a new era in breast cancer screening technology.
The GE and RadNet partnership comes as GE faces challenges with declining imaging sales in China, attributed to delayed purchases among customers.
