Artificial intelligence (AI) software developer MaxQ is switching gears, discontinuing its Accipio line of software for detection and triage of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) and ending its involvement in the development of image analysis-based AI applications.
The decision was difficult but necessary, according to MaxQ CEO Michael Rosenberg. Algorithms designed to identify a specific clinical problem are only one part of a broader solution needed to have an impact on patient outcomes, he said.
Instead of developing AI algorithms that would be considered as medical devices and require regulatory approval, MaxQ is now building nonimage-based AI algorithms that will reach beyond the radiology department to the enterprise, Rosenberg said.
"Our new solution leverages the vast amount of medical data to identify anomalies that may cause poor clinical outcomes or care inefficiencies." he told AuntMinnie.com. "Stay tuned."
As a result of the change in focus, the company's sales and marketing teams involved with the commercialization of Accipio have been laid off, however.
Designed to help prioritize clinical assessment of adult noncontrast head CT studies that show indications of ICH, Accipio Ix had received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance in 2018. The software had been given an expedited access pathway designation by the FDA earlier in the year, paving the way for a speedy regulatory review as part of the FDA's new Breakthrough Devices program.
Later, the vendor offered a suite of Accipio applications -- Accipio Clinical Platform -- that included Accipio Ix for ICH triage and notification, Accipio Ax for slice-level annotation, and Accipio Dxg for triage for the presence and absence of ICH.
MaxQ sold Accipio software suite mostly through channel partners, including Fujifilm Medical Systems USA, Philips Healthcare, GE Healthcare, Arterys, Nuance Communications, Samsung Neurologica, and IBM Watson Health.
"Rest assured, our channel partners have what they need to support their customer base," Rosenberg said.
The change in focus marks the latest evolution of the company, which began as MedyMatch Technology, an Israeli developer of AI technology. The company later changed its name in 2018 to MaxQ AI to better reflect its focus on AI.
