Global medtech company 4D Medical, creator of lung function imaging technology, has announced a merger with Imbio, reporting that combining existing technologies will drive respiratory health improvements around the globe. Image courtesy: 4D Medical
December 13, 2023 — The global medical technology company 4DMedical has announced it has entered a binding agreement to acquire Imbio (a portfolio company of Minneapolis-based Invenshure). Creators of groundbreaking lung imaging technologies, 4DMedical reports that it aims to revolutionize respiratory imaging and ventilation for improved lung disease detection and management. According to a news release detailing the merger, Imbio technology complements those products by delivering quantitative and personalized imaging analysis for patients suffering from both acute and chronic diseases.
The combined technology offering holds the potential to turn any standard Chest CT into a much broader Cardiothoracic Analysis — immediately providing functional, structural, and risk-based analysis for both lung and heart disease. The statement further noted that core to both companies is a desire to improve the way lung disease is detected and subsequently managed.
4DMedical XV Technology current and pipeline software products provide regional quantification of lung function using existing imaging equipment, or the dedicated XV Scanner. Imbio's fully automated technology transforms chest CT studies into rich visual maps of a patient's lungs. Accompanying reports provide detailed data on the type and extent of abnormalities found in the images. Imbio algorithms support multiple clinical initiatives such as lung cancer screening, smoking cessation, surgical planning, and pulmonary embolism management programs—and can be used in clinical trials and academic research for numerous diseases.
Combining 4DMedical and Imbio existing technologies into a unified offering and development platform will drive respiratory health improvements around the globe. Imbio's current portfolio provides validated and market-leading insights to highly specialized healthcare providers. By combining this toolset with 4DMedical's novel technology and automated point-of-care radiology workflows, 4DMedical will revolutionize lung disease diagnosis by making it simultaneously more comprehensive, objective, personalized, and, most importantly, more widely available, according to the written statement.
4DMedical's commercialization of XV Technology in the United States will benefit from the opportunity to be delivered into established Imbio contracts. This opens up the exciting opportunities of providing patient screening programs for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), interstitial lung disease (ILD), lung cancer and heart disease in the Australian and U.S. markets.
"We are extremely pleased with the acquisition of Imbio, a highly- complementary strategic fit for 4DMedical, expanding our addressable market,” said 4DMedical Founder and CEO Andreas Fouras, BEng, MEngSc(Res), PhD, MAICD. He added, “Imbio's suite of products deploy AI solutions to add quantification and visualization to lung structure from CT scans, bringing new indications to 4DMedical. The acquisition also provides additional inroads to engage with the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, boosting 4DMedical's mission to improve healthcare for Veterans." The acquisition aligns with 4DMedical's growth strategy, providing physicians with a comprehensive suite of products combining structure and function in assessing lung disease, effectively "owning the lung."
4DMedical Limited is a global medtech company that has created a step change in the capacity to accurately and quickly understand the lung function of patients with respiratory diseases, according to the company. It adds that through its flagship patented XV Technology, 4DMedical enables physicians to understand regional airflow in the lungs and identify respiratory deficiencies earlier and with greater sensitivity as they breathe. The technology powers 4DMedical's FDA-cleared XV Lung Ventilation Analysis Software (XV LVAS) — the first modality to dynamically quantify ventilation throughout the lungs, and its Computed Tomography-enabled counterpart software, CT LVAS, which recently received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as reported by ITN (see below). XV LVAS and CT LVAS reports are prepared using 4DMedical's Software as a Service (SaaS) delivery model using existing hospital imaging equipment or the Company's revolutionary XV Scanner.
"Imbio is very excited to join forces with 4DMedical to offer expanded capabilities and customer support. Together we can help clinicians utilize the vast quantitative information obtained from patients' diagnostic chest images for lung pathologies to ultimately drive actionable decision-making for better patient care," said Dave Hannes, CEO at Imbio.
A provider of artificial intelligence (AI) medical imaging solutions for chronic lung and cardiothoracic diseases, Imbio reports that its regulatory-cleared solutions transform the way patients are discovered, diagnosed, and treated, enabling physician productivity and more personalized care for patients.
More information: www.4dmedical.com
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