BROSSARD, Quebec, May 26, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Diagnos Inc. (“DIAGNOS”, the “Corporation” or ”we”) (TSX Venture: ADK) (OTCQB: DGNOF) a leader in early detection of critical health issues through the use of its FLAIRE platform based on Artificial Intelligence (AI), is pleased to announce, in partnership with the Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM), the launch of the testing phase for autonomous artificial intelligence solutions dedicated to diabetic retinopathy screening.
It is with great pleasure that DIAGNOS and the CHUM are launching the clinical study which will make it possible to establish, with precision, the level of performance of the autonomous algorithms utilized for the identification of the disease and its classification by level of severity, with patients suffering from diabetic retinopathy.
“This phase marks the beginning of the final step of this partnership aiming for the automated detection of diabetic retinopathy, which began in June 2018,” says Mr. André Larente, President of DIAGNOS. “This stage of testing and performance analysis was approved by the CHUM, following the positive results obtained over the past few months by CHUM clinicians as part of the rigorous independent evaluation process applied to analyze the performance of the classification algorithms by level of severity run in autonomous mode. »
“This project is well aligned with the CHUM’s desire to improve accessibility of its services to the patients through partnerships that nurture the development and integration of innovative solutions.” said Dr. Fabrice Brunet, President and CEO of the CHUM.
The retinal fundus images of more than 600 diabetic patients from the CHUM’s endocrinology Department will be analyzed by the NeoRetina artificial intelligence algorithm of deep learning from DIAGNOS in collaboration with the CHUM’s ophthalmology Department. This solution makes possible the identification of lesions caused by diabetic retinopathy and the classification of the evolution of the disease by level of severity. Performed in a “double-blind” comparison mode, this test will allow the CHUM professionals to precisely establish the level of performance and precision of the NeoRetina autonomous algorithms.
As for the benefits provided by this automated screening technology, the Head of the endocrinology Department at the CHUM, Dr. Andrée Boucher, is delighted with the increased volume of screenings that can be performed: “Diabetic retinopathy affects a good number of diabetic patients. However, considering that in the initial stages of the disease, patients are generally asymptomatic, and symptoms often only appear at the more advanced stages of the disease, this means of independent screening, easily carried out at the time of the annual examination of the patients, will allow us to reduce the number of complications that can lead to blindness. »
Dr. Salim Lahoud, Head of the CHUM’s ophthalmology Department, agrees with his colleague and affirms that the screening for diabetic retinopathy carried out using the artificial intelligence solutions developed by DIAGNOS will contribute to prioritizing and improving the speed of patient care by the ophthalmologists of his department. In addition to being accurate, efficient, and swift, DIAGNOS’ artificial intelligence screening solutions permit a significant reduction of the costs and the early identification of pathologies. Diabetes being the second leading cause of blindness in Canada, the integration of these solutions into medical follow-up programs, such as those offered to diabetic patients, will allow numerous patients to preserve their sight!
About Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM)
The Centre hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal is an innovative hospital devoted to serving patients. It provides the highest quality specialized and ultraspecialized care to patients and the general public all over Québec. Through its unique expertise and innovations, its aim is to improve the health of the adult and aging population. As the Université de Montréal hospital, CHUM is dedicated to care, research, teaching, health promotion, and the assessment of technology and health intervention methods in order to continually improve the quality of care and the health of the population. Since fall 2017, patients and their families have been able to enjoy a renewed hospital experience at CHUM’s new facilities.
Additional information is available at: www.chumontreal.qc.ca
About DIAGNOS
DIAGNOS is a publicly traded Canadian corporation dedicated to early detection of critical health problems based on its FLAIRE Artificial Intelligence (AI) platform. FLAIRE allows for quick modifying and developing of applications such as CARA (Computer Assisted Retina Analysis). CARA’s image enhancement algorithms provide sharper, clearer and easier-to-analyze retinal images. CARA is a cost-effective tool for real-time screening of large volumes of patients. CARA has been cleared for commercialization by the following regulators: Health Canada, the FDA (USA), CE (Europe), COFEPRIS (Mexico) and Saudi FDA (Saudi Arabia).
Additional information is available at www.diagnos.com and www.sedar.com
This news release contains forward-looking information. There can be no assurance that forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in these statements. DIAGNOS disclaims any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.
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