Medical imaging firm Enlitic secures investment from Marubeni

US-based image diagnosis system developer Enlitic has secured investment from Japanese conglomerate Marubeni to support the development and commercialisation of its new device.

Based on artificial intelligence (AI) technology, Enlitic’s diagnosis system leverages deep learning to analyse medical data in order to enable quick and more accurate detection of diseases that can be identified through medical images such as X-rays and CT scans.

The device focuses on chest X-rays, which are known to be associated with more cases of misdiagnosis. Enlitic is also working on the development of an image diagnosis system related to cranial/chest CT and mammography imaging.

Marubeni expects that the device could help relieve the burden on radiologists in Japan through more efficient image diagnosis and screening.

A statement from Marubeni read: “It is widely recognised that healthcare resources are growing scarce globally. Japan, in particular, suffers from an ageing population and a shrinking birthrate, placing a heavy burden on hospitals and radiologists.

“In the future, with this product fully functional, it could go a long way to relieving the strenuous loads faced by radiologists by enhancing the efficiency of the image diagnosis and screening process and improving accuracy through early detection and reduction of misdiagnosis.”

Marubeni plans to further develop the image diagnosis system in Japan via additional collaborations.

The company expects Enlitic’s device to cater to the global digital healthcare market, which is expected to be worth $10bn by 2020.

Also, Marubeni intends to create a remote medical diagnosis online platform for data collection and management in a bid to offer a generic remote imaging diagnosis service to de-populated areas.