Abdul Latif Jameel Health on Monday announced a new distribution agreement with iSono Health, a medical technology company in San Francisco, USA, to transform breast care with automated imaging and artificial intelligence (AI).
The partnership announced on the first day of Arab Health 2023 will see Abdul Latif Jameel Health become the exclusive distributor of iSono Health’s ATUSA scanner in the Global South, making it available to hundreds of millions of women in an initial 31 countries covering the Middle East and North Africa, Africa, South Asia, and Southeast Asia.
“The female-founded iSono Health is transforming breast imaging with a first-of-its-kind, compact automated whole breast ultrasound system featuring a unique wearable accessory and an intuitive, intelligent software for automated image acquisition and analysis. The patented and FDA-cleared ATUSA system is a compact ultrasound scanner that captures 3D images through automated scanning of the whole breast in just two minutes, independent of operator expertise,” the organisation said in a statement.
According to the developers, the device connects to laptop or tablet for real-time image acquisition and 3D visualization; the data is transferred to a secure cloud for storage. The ATUSA system is designed from ground up to seamlessly integrate with machine learning models that will give physicians a comprehensive set of tools for decision making and patient management, it claimed.
“This new partnership is a significant milestone in our history and an important step forward in making our ATUSA scanner accessible to millions more women across the world. Working with Abdul Latif Jameel Health will empower so many more women to access the healthcare they need, to improve patient experiences and to bring peace of mind. We have been able to develop a scanner which takes two minutes to scan and makes breast imaging painless and convenient. We’re very much looking forward to bringing this technology to the region and making a lasting, sustainable impact,” Maryam Ziaei, PhD, Founder and CEO, iSono Health, said in a statement.
According to the World Health Organization, breast cancer is the world’s most prevalent cancer; one in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime.
According to a press statement, the agreement will see Abdul Latif Jameel Health distribute the ATUSA scanner across the Middle East and North Africa as well as African markets including South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria, in addition to South Asia covering India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal, and Southeast Asian territories of Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand and Brunei.
“Working with Maryam Ziaei, and Shadi Saberi, co-founders with PhDs in Engineering, and the whole iSono Health team has made it
clear what a perfect synergy we share in our vision to improve access to healthcare, eliminate the disparity in health equity across the world, and how using state of the art health tech will help us achieve these goals. Their ATUSA scanner is one of the most innovative pieces of technology I have witnessed in my career, and I know it will very soon become one of the most valuable products used by physicians and for healthcare systems. This is an important moment for those in medical imaging but more importantly for women’s health across the Global South,” Akram Bouchenaki, Chief Executive Officer, Abdul Latif Jameel Health said in a statement.
Last year, Abdul Latif Jameel Health announced the creation of its new international commercial ecosystem to accelerate access to modern medical care and drive health inclusivity across the Global South.
Since its launch in 2020, Abdul Latif Jameel Health has developed strong relationships with renowned health partners utilizing innovation and industry disruptive approaches to deliver healthcare in more efficient ways. Partners include Butterfly Network, EQRx, Cyberdyne, Evelo Biosciences, Melody International, Holoeyes Inc., and now, iSono Health.