Annalise.ai helps improve patient care worldwide with AI-powered radiology solutions

Dr Aengus Tran fused his desire to help people with a love of making things from scratch to co-found Annalise.ai, a medtech company that uses the power of artificial intelligence to analyse chest x-rays and head CT studies.

The result: tools that are supporting radiologists and clinicians in the US, the UK, Europe and Asia to make speedier, more accurate diagnoses that improve patient care.

Aengus and his brother Dimitry co-founded Annalise.ai to address the twin challenges of increased workloads and limited capacity across the global healthcare system. Their AI-powered solutions help clinicians prioritise their work, boost efficiency and improve the accuracy of diagnoses – enhancing patient outcomes.

More efficient, accurate findings

Annaliese.ai offers 3 solutions that use AI to analyse medical imaging. Annalise Enterprise CXR detects up to 124 chest X-ray findings and Annalise Enterprise CTB detects up to 130 radiological findings on non-contrast head CT studies in under a minute. Annalise CXR Edge is a point-of-care chest x-ray solution that detects 95 radiological findings in 10 seconds or less. 

The solutions read the imaging, flag possible findings and triage the most critical cases. This ensures radiologists review those cases first, leading to quicker diagnoses and patient treatments. The first-level check improves efficiency and lessens fatigue among radiologists. 

‘Our solutions act as a second set of digital eyes,’ says Lakshmi Gudapakkam, Annalise.ai’s CEO. ‘Unlike other products that only cover one finding, our solutions cover over 100. They support radiologists by checking for all possible findings. Their “objectivity” also reduces human bias, minimising the risk of misdiagnosis.’

The extensive and diverse training for the solution were sourced from datasets across 3 continents – and every one of them was annotated by 3 radiologists. ‘This makes the findings much more accurate,’ says Gudapakkam. ‘Radiologists tell us they prefer our solution over competitors because it’s not flagging as many false positives. That’s due to the quality and diversity of the training data.’

The CXR solution can also pick up complex and subtle pathologies. In the UK, NHS Grampian has deployed the technology to radiology and emergency departments at 12 sites across northeast Scotland. The solution has alerted radiologists to small masses that were initially missed but confirmed to be lung cancer in a follow-up scan. Early detection ensured patients received swift treatment. 

Empowering clinicians around the world

Annalise.ai has regulatory clearance in 40 countries, including major markets such as the US, the UK, Europe and Southeast Asia. The company is a member of Microsoft’s Nuance Precision Imaging Network, which connects its solutions to over 12,000 healthcare facilities worldwide.

In November 2023, Annalise.ai announced the launch of Annalise Triage, a solution specifically for the US market. Annalise Triage features 12 FDA-cleared findings, including 5 for chest X-ray (CXR) and 7 for non-contrast head CT (CTB). The solution has a ‘Breakthrough Device’ designation from the US FDA, the first radiology triage device to get this status. The designation is only given to medical devices that improve the treatment or diagnosis of life-threatening or debilitating conditions.

In Malaysia, Annalise.ai has partnered with Ramsay Sime Darby Health Care (RSDH) to deploy its CXR solution in the radiology departments of RSDH’s hospitals. Another prominent Malaysian hospital, Gleneagles Kuala Lumpur, is evaluating the CXR and CTB solutions.  

In May 2023, Annalise.ai opened the Annalise India Centre in Chennai, its first facility in India. The centre will focus on developing new products to support the company’s global ambitions. Annalise.ai recently launched a docker product that enables the company to participate in AI marketplace. Similar to Google Play or Apple Store, AI marketplaces allow companies to host their AI solutions. These marketplaces reduce the barriers for hospitals to adopt AI solutions.

Government support opens doors

Austrade is supporting Annalise.ai to expand into more markets. Austrade has introduced the company to potential customers and partners in Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Middle East. The agency invited representatives from the Indian state government to the opening of the Annalise India Centre and organised meetings with potential Indian customers. 

Most recently, Austrade invited Annalise.ai to an Australian Innovation Showcase in Washington DC, part of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s first State Visit to the US. The showcase gave Dimitry Tran the opportunity to share news of the launch of Annalise Triage with Australia’s Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd. 

‘We’re interested in partnering with governments on public health initiatives like lung cancer screening programs,’ says Gudapakkam. ‘Austrade has introduced us to key people in government so we can pursue collaborations.’

‘My brother and I founded Annalise.ai to make an impact on healthcare and patient outcomes at scale,’ says Dr Aengus Tran. ‘And that scale is now global.’