iCAD, Hitachi enter distribution agreement for MRI breast cancer diagnosis and guided biopsy solution

iCAD, Inc.(Nasdaq: ICAD), an industry-leading provider of advanced image analysis, workflow solutions and radiation therapies for the early identification and treatment of cancer, today announced that it has entered into a distribution agreement with Hitachi Medical Systems. With this agreement, iCAD's SpectraLook with PrecisionPoint image analysis solution for breast MRI will be available for purchase with Hitachi's Oasis and Echelon MRI systems. iCAD's MRI solution will assist radiologists in distinguishing potential cancers in the breast as part of their overall analysis of MRI studies and streamline the planning and performance of MRI-guided percutaneous breast biopsies.

“Combining iCAD's advanced image analysis technologies with the power of Hitachi's scanners gives radiologists a more controlled, faster and accurate way to locate and sample lesions in the breast.”

"Dynamic MRI is being utilized with increased frequency as a less-invasive way to identify cancer at an early stage," said Ken Ferry, President and CEO of iCAD. "With this agreement, iCAD's advanced image analysis technology will be available to assist the many clinicians using Hitachi's MR systems to increase diagnostic confidence - allowing them to more accurately and quickly assess a tumor, which should lead to more targeted treatment options for their patients."

iCAD's SpectraLook MR image analysis solution provides objective consistent quantitative analysis of breast MRI datasets creating colorized images based on signal changes defined by tumor physiology. This unique technology is designed to assist radiologists in distinguishing potential cancers in the breast as part of their overall analysis of MRI studies. When coupled with VersaVue^® Enterprise, iCAD's image review and analysis software, this comprehensive solution improves the analysis workflow, interventional planning and reporting of breast MRI results while streamlining the radiologist's workflow and diagnosis. The PrecisionPoint software is an integrated module within VersaVue Enterprise which provides radiologists with an automatic calculation of the location and depth of a targeted region of interest making MRI-guided breast biopsies easier, faster and more reliable.

"Our partnership with iCAD brings together two of the most advanced imaging technologies that will further advance the world of MRI breast cancer diagnosis and guided biopsy," said Sheldon Schaffer, Vice President and General Manager of MRI and CT for Hitachi. "Combining iCAD's advanced image analysis technologies with the power of Hitachi's scanners gives radiologists a more controlled, faster and accurate way to locate and sample lesions in the breast."

SpectraLook with PrecisionPoint will be available for purchase with Hitachi's Oasis 1.2T and Echelon 1.5T scanners, and will be available as an upgrade to current customers.