Medical technology firm Bay Labs has partnered with medical equipment provider Edwards Lifesciences to bolster the detection of heart disease using artificial intelligence (AI) software.

As per the agreement, the partners will focus on developing new AI-powered algorithms in Bay Labs’ EchoMD measurement and interpretation software suite.

In addition, the EchoMD algorithms will be integrated into Edwards Lifesciences’ CardioCare quality care navigation platform. The partners also plan to offer support for ongoing clinical studies at institutions.

“Bay Labs and Edwards Lifesciences believe that integration of EchoMD and future algorithms into clinical practice can potentially improve quality and increase the accurate detection of heart disease.”

The EchoMD software suite enables automated review of images captured during echocardiograms.

Meanwhile, the CardioCare programme leverages clinical consulting expertise and a cloud-based platform for identification, referral and care pathway management of structural heart disease patients.

Various EchoMD algorithms have already been incorporated into the CardioCare platform to evaluate use in retrospective analysis of echocardiograms.

Bay Labs and Edwards Lifesciences believe that integration of EchoMD and future algorithms into clinical practice can potentially improve quality and increase the accurate detection of heart disease.

Edwards Lifesciences strategy and corporate development, corporate vice-president Don Bobo said: “It is unfortunate that patients suffering from severe aortic stenosis frequently do not receive a proper diagnosis, for a variety of reasons.

“The value of Bay Labs’ technology is in providing help for these patients to be appropriately diagnosed and successfully find their way to proper treatments.”

In June this year, Bay Labs’ initial EchoMD product with AutoEF secured the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for complete automated clip selection and calculation of left ventricular ejection fraction (EF).

In November, Bay Labs collaborated with Northwestern Medicine to study its AI-based EchoGPS cardiac ultrasound guidance software suite to detect heart disease through cardiovascular imaging.