Google Health is licensing its mammography AI research model with iCAD, a medical technology company focused on breast cancer, the big tech firm said Monday.
Google said the mammography AI model will be incorporated into clinical practice through iCAD’s portfolio of breast imaging AI solutions, which are used at imaging centers and in health systems across the U.S. and globally. iCAD and Google did not specify the exact number of imaging centers and health systems that will be affected. As part of the deal, iCAD will also use Google Cloud’s infrastructure.
The partnership with iCAD comes after years of investment and research by Google into developing the mammography AI model. The company published research in Nature in 2020 that showed its AI technology did better than radiologists in identifying signs of breast cancer.
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In November 2021, Google announced a partnership with the U.K.'s National Health Service to study whether artificial intelligence can make breast cancer screening more accurate, safer, less expensive and an improved patient experience compared to mammograms analyzed by doctors. It also has partnered with Chicago-based Northwestern Medicine to research how AI can prioritize high-risk cases for breast cancer and shorten diagnosis time.
While the focus on developing its AI models has remained steadfast, Google Health has undergone significant changes in the last few years.
In August 2021, Dr. David Feinberg left his role as vice president of Google Health after less than three years for Cerner. Shortly after Feinberg’s departure, Google Health said that while health projects would still be pursued by the company it was disbanding as a singular unit. Despite this, Google has remained active in healthcare, including announcing partnerships this year with Epic, CVS Health and Meditech.
This story first appeared in Digital Health Business & Technology.
