Medtronic won FDA de novo clearance for its GI Genius endoscopy technology that can spot suspicious lesions during routine colonoscopy exams. The system works with any video colonoscope and can even process pre-recorded colonoscopies. Even highly experienced gastroenterologists can miss a polyp while navigating through the colon. Computer vision technology can carefully process the entirety of every video frame to spot any irregularities associated with polyps. According to Medtronic, “the GI Genius module has demonstrated a 14% absolute increase in ADR [adenoma detection rate] compared to colonoscopy alone for both flat (42% increase) and polyploid (36% increase) lesions, thus increasing accuracy and reducing the rise of interval cancers which can occur between colonoscopies.” The system simply displays a green box over any suspected polyp in a colonoscopy video, allowing the physician to get up close and get a better look at what is there. “More than 19 million screening colonoscopies are performed in the United States each year. A key factor in the prevention of colorectal cancer is the integration of leading-edge technologies into gastroenterology practices to increase detection rates,” said Dr. James Weber, a gastroenterologist and CEO of the GI Alliance, in a Medtronic announcement. “Detection of adenomas during colonoscopy is an important quality metric. The addition of AI can increase the quality of colonoscopies, potentially improving diagnosis and outcomes for colon cancer patients.” Source
