Brainomix demonstrates impact of Brainomix 360 Stroke to increase endovascular thrombectomy rates

Brainomix, which makes AI-powered imaging tools for stroke and lung fibrosis, has published a prospective real-world study demonstrating that its AI imaging platform, Brainomix 360 Stroke, significantly increased rates of endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) treatment, a minimally invasive surgical procedure for patients with large vessel occlusion stroke, and reduced delays in patient triage and transfer. The data were published in The Lancet Digital Health in a paper titled 'Artificial intelligence imaging decision support for acute stroke treatment in England: a prospective observational study.'

The study evaluated the impact of AI stroke imaging software on stroke treatment, encompassing data collected by the national stroke audit registry, Sentinel Stroke National Audit Programme (SSNAP), from 107 hospitals in England over a 5-year period, representing more than 450,000 patients. Brainomix 360 Stroke was deployed across four regional stroke networks in England, consisting of 26 hospitals (both primary and comprehensive stroke centers), where data from more than 71,000 individual patients with ischemic stroke was collected, and a pre- and post-implementation analysis was conducted.

Key highlights from the study include:

• Sites using Brainomix 360 Stroke (evaluation sites) saw a 100% increase in EVT, compared with a 63% increase at non-evaluation sites.
• At the level of the individual patient, the use of AI stroke software was associated with an increased likelihood of EVT compared with patients for whom AI software was not used (OR 1.57, p<0.0001).
• The increase in treatment rates as a result of the use of Brainomix 360 Stroke was associated with improved patient outcomes, i.e. less severe disability at the time of discharge from hospital.
• The increase in patient treatment with EVT was most marked in primary stroke centers, suggesting that the greatest benefit of stroke AI software is at hospitals with fewer specialist doctors, who routinely use accessible imaging such as non-contrast CT and CT angiography.
• Primary stroke centers using Brainomix 360 Stroke also saw a notable reduction of 64 minutes in the door-in-door-out (DIDO) times between admitting a patient and transferring them to a specialized center for EVT.
• A higher rate of intravenous thrombolysis (IVT), a drug treatment for stroke, was observed at evaluation sites, with patients reviewed with AI software more likely to receive IVT (OR 1.99, p<0.0001).

The study results support current clinical guidelines from both the NHS and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, which recommend the routine use of AI imaging decision-support software in acute stroke care.

Dr George Harston, Chief Medical and Innovation Officer, Brainomix, and Consultant Physician, Oxford University Hospitals, said:

As a Company that prides itself on a foundation of evidence-based medicine, we are delighted with the publication of this landmark study of Brainomix 360 Stroke in Lancet Digital Health. The significant increase in mechanical thrombectomy and intravenous thrombolysis with an associated improvement in clinical outcomes validates what we have seen in other studies, but at an unprecedented scale. It is particularly exciting to see that access to care improves in all hospitals and particularly in non-specialist general hospitals, where there is the greatest unmet need and to which most stroke patients will initially present. Through this unique collaboration with clinical teams across NHS England and the Health Innovation Network, we have demonstrated the generalizable impact that stroke AI technology can have for improving patient care.

Dr David Hargroves, NHS National Clinical Director for Stroke and co-author of the study, said:

This landmark study confirms what stroke physicians have been witnessing on their wards every day – that this AI technology is changing lives. It is slashing waits for a stroke diagnosis, hugely increasing the chance of a stroke patient to receive life- and disability-saving treatments – improving their chances of returning to independent living and a better quality of life. This publication is the result of a strategic investment by the UK government into AI research and its integration into the NHS, providing robust evidence that supports national clinical guidelines.

Professor Gary Ford, Chief Executive of Health Innovation Oxford & Thames Valley which carried out the evaluation, said:

This is an AI solution that is meeting a clear need and delivering impact and benefit for patients across the NHS. Our evaluation is the largest into the impact of using stroke AI on increasing access and timeliness of the delivery of thrombectomy to people with stroke. It has highlighted the large impact on improving access to this vital treatment, particularly for patients who initially present to hospitals without the capability to deliver thrombectomy.