Bayer and Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, an internationally renowned university hospital in the capital of Switzerland, have signed an agreement under which Inselspital will introduce Bayer’s new medical imaging platform Calantic Digital Solutions to its radiology suite.
Through a subscription license agreement of this specialized platform, Inselspital will use digital applications, including artificial intelligence (AI) enabled tools for medical imaging. The platform contains apps that help radiologists and their teams improve prioritization, lesion detection, quantification and productivity, aiming to support healthcare professionals at various stages of their work, from diagnosis through treatment of their patients.
quantification and productivity of radiology interventions.
Bayer will also provide Inselspital Bern with services relating to installation, configuration and training of the platform and its applications. In addition, Bayer and Inselspital will jointly generate real-world clinical evidence to demonstrate the benefits of using AI, including the benefits of deploying a platform to enable AI tools for medical imaging.
“AI has the potential to be a game-changer in healthcare and medical imaging,” said Prof. Roland Wiest, Deputy Director, Institute of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Bern University Hospital and University of Bern, Switzerland, and head of several educational initiatives in radiology to enable a wider use of AI-based technologies.
The university hospital will install Calantic Digital Solutions in the Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology in Bern in the coming months. “As AI is making its way into radiology, we are looking forward to joining forces with renowned experts such as Inselspital Bern to drive its adoption in clinical practice,” said Gerd Krueger, President, Radiology, Bayer. “Building on deep medical expertise across a multitude of diagnostic and therapeutic areas at Bayer, AI will continue to be a significant focus for us to help transform patient care.”
“We are pleased to work with Inselspital Bern, one of the top university hospitals in Switzerland and worldwide, on offering digital solutions that can help improve productivity and patient outcomes,” said Lucia Fernandez Lopez, Head of Digital Solutions Business EMEA, Radiology, Bayer. “We are looking forward to working together with this renowned institution to prove the value of Calantic Digital Solutions to radiology and the entire health system.”
About AI in Medical Imaging
The overall global medical imaging AI field, with sales of more than USD 400 million in 2021, is expected to continue growing dynamically. With an estimated compounded annual growth rate of more than 26 percent, the market is forecast to reach USD 1.36 billion by 2026.1 Innovation powered by AI is needed more than ever. Aging populations and changing lifestyles are leading to an increase in chronic conditions, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer. Consequently, the demand for medical imaging to detect diseases, guide treatment decisions and support therapy planning is growing. AI comes with the value proposition of aiding diagnosis and increasing the throughput of radiological examinations.
This is particularly important because time pressure and workload are contributing to the prevalence of burn-out among radiologists. This situation is aggravated by the fact that there is a shortage of trained radiologists.2 In addition, publications show that the rate of diagnostic errors rise with long hours of overtime; a publication from 2018 mentions approximately 40 million diagnostic errors annually worldwide, involving imaging.3 Digital technologies can help manage the mounting workload of radiologists and their teams, with the ultimate aim of improving patient care.
1 Signify Research: AI in Medical Imaging – World Market Analysis 2022
2 The Complexities of Physician Supply and Demand: Projections From 2018 to 2033. AAMC.
https://www.aamc.org/media/45976/download; the Royal College of Radiologists: Clinical radiology UK workforce census 2020 report:
3 Fundamentals of Diagnostic Error in Imaging, Itri et al. (2018) https://pubs.rsna.org/doi/full/10.1148/rg.2018180021
