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The Israeli company MobileODT claims to be able to detect cancer of the cervix more accurately and cheaply than the standard colposcopy method used today, by creating a mobile digital colposcope consisting of a smartphone equipped with a light source, a magnification lens and an artificial intelligence algorithm.
Colposcopy is a procedure using a colpocope that provides doctors with an illuminated and enlarged view of the woman's cervix and tissues of the bad and vulva to screen for cancer of the cervix.
According to the World Health Organization, in 2018, 570,000 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer, making it the fourth most common cancer in women. A study by the National Cancer Institute also found that 80% of the cases and 90% of the 280,000 deaths occurred in low- and middle-income countries, where the number of qualified colposcopists – the specialists who manage the screenings of this area anatomical – is inferior and health operators have fewer resources.
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Cervical cancer, usually caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is transmitted primarily through badual contact, can be prevented by prophylactic vaccination against HPV and the risk of death can be greatly reduced through early diagnosis , appropriate treatment programs and screening, smears, which involve scraping the cervical walls with a spatula for the sample cells.
Close-up of a standard colposcope with an ultrasound scanner in a gynecological ward (OKrasyuk; iStock by Getty Images)
With its Eva system, which uses an Automatic Image Evaluation (AVE) algorithm, MobileODT says it can detect cervical cancer simply by examining an image of the cervix of the uterus.
According to the company, the AVE algorithm has proven to be more reliable than a human expert performing colposcopy to identify abnormal tissue that hints at a possible future development of cervical cancer.
After developing the initial algorithm in collaboration with the National Cancer Institute, MobileODT has created a portable, wireless and internet-connected colposcope, called Eva Colpo, that can be used in any clinic or medical office enabling women living in poorer areas to benefit from accurate screening tests. .
The equipment of the device is a white, waterproof, enclosing a smartphone, which is an integral part. Samsung J530 is the only model supported, Rachel Gross, content and community manager, told the Times of Israel. There is a handle with a power button at the base of the cover.
Eva Colpo is equipped with a light source for lighting, a camera with lens for 16 times optical magnification and inter-grid polarizers for the reduction of glare.
The device is directed to the pelvic area after badl dilation by means of a speculum. The colposcopist can then examine the cervix on the phone screen in real time and in great detail, the company says.
The Israeli start-up MobileODT has created the Eva system, which uses an automatic vision evaluation algorithm (AVE), which has proven to be more reliable than a human expert when carrying out A colposcopy for the identification of abnormal tissues that may indicate a possible future development of the cervix of the uterus. cancer (courtesy)
Clinicians then make high quality captures of photos or videos. These data are then transferred to the cloud where "the algorithm will evaluate the image to detect the presence of cancer," Gross said. The integrated software detects cancer through cervical tissue abnormalities.
The AVE algorithm is not yet allowed to be used by the US Food & Drug Administration for diagnostic purposes, but it is currently licensed by the FDA and the EC as a visualization tool, according to Gross, which added that when the algorithm is approved by the FDA – within two years, according to the FDA's schedule, the Eva system will become an appropriate diagnostic tool.
The EVA system is already in use in 29 countries, including Kenya, India and Cambodia, as well as 50 health care systems across the United States, said Gross, but it's just a tool to visualize the cervix that can provide magnification after an HPV test or Pap test. performed.
With the EVA System app, available for download on the Google Store, practitioners will be able to make an immediate diagnosis and record their decision to treat patients on-site without waiting for other test results or returning them to another facility.
Captures of images and videos can be stored on the smartphone and synchronized securely to an online portal set up by the company. The information can then be exported and uploaded to the practitioner's electronic medical records.
MobileODT recently completed the integration with EMR of athenahealth, a cloud-based service provider in the healthcare industry, Gross said.
Doctors can also add annotations and filters to images to get new useful details and track patient progress over time.
The big advantage is connectivity. Each patient's data is stored in an individual file and can be shared securely via the web portal with other colleagues or organizations for evaluation and clinical consultation, generally improving the performance of practitioners.
In addition, doctors can examine the stored material and even use it for distance education purposes.
Ariel Beery, CEO of Israeli startup MobileODT (screenshot of YouTube screen)
"Our team is proud to provide an AVE-compatible colposcope to reach more women and save more lives," said CEO Ariel Beery in the press release.
The product, which, according to the company, is available for a fraction of the price of a standard colposcope, does not only target specialists, but also hospitals and NGOs involved in the medical field.
Mobile ODT announced last week that it would soon launch a pilot study in India, where only 3.1% of the 432 million women likely to develop cervical cancer can undergo clinical screening . The company aims to screen 250 women a day and has partnered with its partners Apollo Hospitals and Genworks Health, a leading provider of healthcare solutions in the Asian country.
The MobileODT team was at work in India last week to train clinicians to use the device, Gross said.
This clinical study – the first large-scale – aims to improve the AI algorithm 'by comparing the cytological co-test to the algorithm's performance, using biopsy as a truth in the field The company said.
The Tel Aviv-based company was founded in 2012 by childhood friends, Beery, and technical director, David Levitz. Former global CEO of PresentTenseGroup, a social enterprise accelerator, Beery also teaches at the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, while Levy has a background in biomedical engineering.
Currently, with its Series B financing, MobileODT has raised $ 11 million, according to the Start-Up Nation Central database, which tracks Israel's technology sector.
MobileODT also has another application for its technology: its device is able to be adapted to examine patients who have been badually badaulted and collect forensic research results, the company said.
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