UNION STRONG and GE Healthcare Launch Edison & UGuard® AI-Powered One-Stop CT Solution for Stroke

Author: Yiling Lin

Editor: Liu Cong

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3 minutes ago

[EqualOcean Editor's Note]

As emerging technologies such as AI and big data continue to revolutionize and reshape the healthcare industry, there is growing industry encouragement in stroke diagnosis and treatment for the research, development, and clinical deployment of intelligent imaging software and devices tailored for stroke centers, thereby upgrading the traditional paradigm of "stroke treatment" to "intelligent stroke therapy".

Every 12 seconds, one person suffers a stroke; every 21 seconds, one person dies from a stroke.

In recent years, stroke, characterized by high incidence, high mortality, and high disability rates, remains the leading cause of death in China. With the progression of population aging, the incidence of stroke in China is expected to continue its rapid growth trend.

However, when confronting this "leading killer," China still faces numerous challenges in stroke diagnosis and treatment. Compared with hemorrhagic stroke, typically represented by aneurysms, acute ischemic stroke (acute cerebral infarction) demands a much more urgent treatment window following onset. The one-hour golden treatment period (door-to-needle time, DNT) is a critical juncture that determines clinical outcomes and even patient survival.

“In martial arts, speed is paramount.” Faced with the race against time in the diagnosis and treatment of acute ischemic stroke, the lack of quantification and the time-consuming nature of imaging assessment have become pressing challenges that require immediate resolution.

On May 15, coinciding with MT2020's designation of today as World Stroke Thrombectomy Day, Union Strong® and GE Healthcare jointly launched the Edison & UGuard® One-Stop AI Solution for Stroke CT at the "2021 China Stroke Congress & the 11th National Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular Disease Forum" held at the China National Convention Center in Beijing.

The solution encompasses functions such as intelligent CT-ASPECTS scoring, intelligent quantitative CT cerebral perfusion assessment, and intelligent CTA-assisted diagnosis, featuring one-stop quantitative imaging assessment for NCCT\CTP\CTA, "zero-operation" AI post-processing services, seamless integration with hospital systems, and automatic generation of DICOM reports.

According to reports, this solution was jointly developed by Union Strong®, the team of Prof. Miao Zhongrong and Prof. Huo Xiaochuan at Beijing Tiantan Hospital, and the team of Prof. Liu Jianmin and Prof. Yang Pengfei at Shanghai Changhai Hospital. Built upon GE Healthcare's digital intelligent CT equipment and augmented with specialized clinical AI capabilities, it achieves a "comprehensive, rapid, and accurate" workflow for stroke management through one-stop CT processing. The system not only matches the diagnostic accuracy of experts at top-tier medical centers but also reduces imaging assessment time 5- to 10-fold. In under three minutes, it generates quantitative imaging analysis results for non-contrast CT, CT perfusion, and CT angiography in full compliance with the latest clinical treatment guidelines, thereby providing robust data support for clinical decision-making and significantly enhancing the quality of emergency stroke diagnosis and treatment.

Ultra-Fast 1 Hour: CT + AI Gains More Time for Treatment

Acute ischemic stroke, also known as acute cerebral infarction, is the most common type of stroke, accounting for approximately 60% to 80% of all cases. For these patients, the internationally recognized golden treatment window—specifically the door-to-needle time for thrombolytic therapy—is one hour. Every minute of delay results in the loss of 1.9 million brain cells; conversely, every 30-minute reduction in treatment delay decreases the risk of death or disability by 10% for patients.

Furthermore, due to its high incidence, mortality, recurrence, and disability rates, it also imposes a significant economic burden. 《Report on Stroke Prevention and Treatment in China 2018》 shows that in 2018, the average hospitalization cost per patient with acute ischemic stroke in China exceeded 17,000 RMB, placing a heavy economic burden on Chinese residents.

To enhance the efficiency of stroke treatment and the level of stroke prevention and control in China, national authorities have frequently issued policy directives in recent years to promote the establishment of stroke centers. Regardless of whether a facility is a secondary, tertiary, or Grade III Class A hospital, these policies uniformly mandate that diagnostic imaging and assessments in emergency settings must be completed within 20 minutes.

In fact, acute stroke care has already advanced into the 2.0 era. Nevertheless, Professor Liu Jianmin from Shanghai Changhai Hospital candidly stated at the press conference: "Currently in China, following stroke onset, the time to hospital arrival is generally too late. After entering the green channel, the assessment process is too slow, and the initiation of vascular recanalization therapy post-assessment is equally delayed. This workflow involves numerous steps, making the assessment phase critically important."

He stated that given China's vast scale, the current level of uniformity in physician expertise and imaging equipment capabilities across hospitals in different cities and at various tiers remains relatively low, while the advent of AI will undoubtedly accelerate the standardization and homogenization of medical technologies.

As emerging technologies such as AI and big data continuously innovate and reshape the healthcare industry, the field of stroke diagnosis and treatment has also seen growing encouragement for the research, development, and clinical implementation of intelligent imaging software and equipment tailored for stroke centers, thereby upgrading traditional "stroke treatment" to "intelligent stroke treatment." "Stroke is a disease in which time largely determines the quality of the prognosis. Therefore, how to accelerate the standardization of assessments and shorten the evaluation time has become a critical link to treatment efficacy," said Liu Jianmin.

Founded in Beijing in 2016, Union Strong® is one of the few companies in China that has chosen to "tackle this formidable challenge."

Over the past few years, through long-term scientific research collaborations with Beijing Xuanwu Hospital, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Shanghai Huashan Hospital, and Changhai Hospital, Union Strong® has successfully developed, secured regulatory approval for, and commercialized a multi-disease, full-workflow intelligent auxiliary product line for both hemorrhagic and ischemic strokes, establishing itself as China’s largest integrated intelligent platform for stroke diagnosis and treatment services. The newly released Edison&UGuard® Stroke CT One-Stop AI Solution includes products such as intelligent CT-ASPECTS scoring and quantitative CT cerebral perfusion assessment within its ischemic stroke product line.

Among them, the UGuard® Intelligent CT-ASPECTS Scoring System primarily utilizes NCCT image analysis to calculate the CT-ASPECTS score for assessing early ischemic changes in the middle cerebral artery territory. This straightforward and practical method enables the rapid delineation of core functional brain regions and the identification of hyperacute cerebral infarction once patient data is acquired via a non-contrast CT scan.

It is reported that the entire scoring process can be completed in just 3 seconds and transmitted back to the hospital's PACS system, rapidly assisting physicians in treatment decision-making and improving the efficiency of information exchange between radiologists and clinicians.

In his speech, Professor Huo Xiaochuan from Beijing Tiantan Hospital stated: "In 2020, the number of thrombectomy procedures in China had increased nearly tenfold compared to 2015. Despite this, less than 5% of patients with large vessel occlusion in China currently receive treatment, and many remain untreated. The reasons are twofold: first, inadequate public education and awareness; second, a lack of effective identification methods and diagnostic and therapeutic technologies."

He pointed out that the prerequisite for thrombectomy is a comprehensive assessment of the patient's condition to identify suitable candidates for the procedure. Artificial intelligence has pioneered this approach. "Correct patient selection yields favorable outcomes, whereas incorrect selection results in a waste of resources and may even lead to a persistent vegetative state."

For patients with acute ischemic stroke within the "6-24 hour time window," the UGuard® CTP cerebral perfusion assessment system utilizes AI algorithms to accurately calculate parameters such as CBF, CBV, Tmax, and MTT. It quantitatively determines the core infarct volume, hypoperfusion volume, mismatch volume, and mismatch ratio, completing the entire workflow within 3 minutes and providing standardized analysis reports along with multi-threshold analysis results.

The launch of the Edison&UGuard® one-stop AI solution for stroke CT enables clinicians to reduce conventional imaging assessment time by 5- to 10-fold during time-critical stroke management, thereby securing greater recovery opportunities for patients. Meanwhile, empowered by AI algorithms, the assessment results rival the diagnostic accuracy of senior physicians at top-tier medical centers and match the performance efficacy of comparable international products.

Software-Hardware Integration: Partnering with GE Healthcare to Launch More Products

Currently, the Edison & UGuard® One-Stop AI Solution for Stroke CT has been implemented in hospitals across Hubei, Jiangsu, Guangdong, Shandong, and other regions, yielding positive clinical outcomes. Through AI algorithms, this solution “embeds” the premier diagnostic and therapeutic expertise of Changhai Hospital and Beijing Tiantan Hospital directly into its algorithmic framework, enabling the replication and promotion of these capabilities across hospitals of all levels nationwide. This serves as another testament to China’s continuous efforts to elevate the standard of stroke care.

Among them, Suzhou BenQ Hospital began implementing this solution in the second half of last year. “Previously, when differences in perfusion regions were minimal, considerable time was consumed communicating with clinical teams. But since adopting this software, we have found it remarkably fast—it feels like a leap from the ground to the sky,” remarked Department Director Su Kai of Suzhou BenQ Hospital at the launch event. “The primary value this solution brings to radiologists and clinicians is its ability to provide a one-stop quantitative analysis standard. This consistent and standardized workflow reduces uncertainties or debates among physicians during clinical assessment, thereby minimizing ambiguities in treatment plan selection and ensuring patients receive accurate and timely care.”

Notably, the exceptional clinical outcomes and positive user feedback achieved by the Edison&UGuard® stroke CT one-stop AI solution can be attributed to GE Healthcare’s specialized digital intelligent CT platform. Committed to delivering digital intelligent CT solutions, GE Healthcare has established the "Pinnacle Intelligent Manufacturing" digital intelligent CT platform. By leveraging cutting-edge digital and artificial intelligence technologies across the entire image acquisition and diagnostic workflow, it addresses challenges in both capability and efficiency, empowering primary hospitals to enhance their diagnostic capabilities while assisting top-tier tertiary hospitals in optimizing operational efficiency.

Addressing the diagnostic and therapeutic challenges in ischemic stroke management, GE Healthcare and Union Strong® have jointly launched the “Stroke CT One-Stop AI Solution,” which simplifies stroke CT image acquisition, ensures more reliable image quality, and enables precise and efficient imaging diagnosis. Meanwhile, clinically tailored text-and-image reports are delivered directly to clinical teams in seconds via an electronic system, truly providing a one-stop solution to clinical challenges.

Last June, GE Healthcare and Union Strong® signed a strategic cooperation memorandum to jointly develop digital healthcare applications based on GE Healthcare’s Edison Intelligence Platform, advancing precision diagnosis and treatment for cerebrovascular diseases.

In this collaboration, Union Strong's® AI system for intelligent processing across the entire diagnosis and treatment workflow is integrated with GE Healthcare's high-definition imaging equipment. Starting with intelligent diagnosis and treatment for aneurysm management in hemorrhagic stroke and intelligent assessment for emergency care of cerebral infarction in ischemic stroke, and in synergy with GE Healthcare's various imaging modalities, the partnership has successively launched the IGS6 AI Neurointerventional Angiography System and the Edison & UGuard® Stroke CT One-Stop AI Solution, forming a comprehensive stroke solution that covers the entire clinical workflow.

At the press conference, Shu Chang, Director of Strategic Business Solutions for Imaging at GE Healthcare, stated: "Stroke has a very high incidence rate in China and is the leading cause of death. Beyond providing professional, cutting-edge products, what is more crucial for GE is partnering with an outstanding Chinese enterprise like Union Strong® to jointly develop a comprehensive solution for stroke. This enables timely detection and precise diagnosis and treatment, which is the fundamental starting point and design rationale behind our approach."

Union Strong® Founder and CEO Liu Wenzhe stated: "While Union Strong® has garnered high recognition and acclaim from clinical healthcare professionals and industry peers in its early stages, thanks to the support and assistance of experts and partners, we are fully aware that the journey toward AI-driven diagnosis and treatment still has a long way to go. Firmly committed to our mission of empowering healthcare with AI and safeguarding lives through technology, we remain grounded in clinical practice and dedicated to patient care, striving to establish Union Strong® as a globally leading intelligent diagnosis and treatment service platform for stroke."

The Era of AI Boom Is Imminent

Since its establishment, Union Strong has completed multiple rounds of financing, with its services covering hundreds of medical institutions. Centered on hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke, it has developed a comprehensive AI solution spanning the entire clinical workflow from screening, diagnosis, and treatment to follow-up.

Currently, in the field of hemorrhagic stroke, Union Strong has launched relevant products across various diagnostic and treatment workflows, such as stability assessment of unruptured aneurysms and surgical simulation planning, with an intelligent surgical robot also under concurrent development. In the realm of ischemic stroke, in addition to the aforementioned products, Union Strong will continue to expand its strategic layout into intelligent thrombolysis and thrombectomy, as well as digital therapeutics for rehabilitation, striving to build an integrated AI diagnostic and therapeutic platform that encompasses the full spectrum of cerebrovascular diseases and covers the entire continuum of stroke prevention and emergency care.

As intelligent assistance across the entire diagnostic and treatment workflow continues to achieve breakthroughs, Union Strong®—dedicated to resolving critical pain points in clinical diagnosis and treatment—is also turning its focus to the challenges of treatment timeliness and prognostic quality, advocating for the establishment of intelligent stroke centers. The construction of stroke centers is complex due to the involvement of multiple disciplines, including emergency medicine, neurology, and radiology.

At the concluding roundtable forum of this launch event, the attending guests drew upon their respective perspectives and research directions to engage in an open discussion on the current challenges and future visions in stroke diagnosis and treatment. Without exception, all the physicians present expressed strong anticipation for the future of artificial intelligence.

Professor Huo Xiaochuan stated that China's artificial intelligence possesses its own unique advantages and should forge a development path with distinct Chinese characteristics, particularly considering that the characteristics of our stroke patient population differ from those abroad. The value of one-stop CT imaging assessment is twofold: clinical application and scientific research.

He frankly stated: “In the past, many software programs were used globally, but relatively few were domestically developed, lacking international recognition. The reason was that scientific research had not kept pace quickly enough. However, now, as a growing number of high-quality software applications catch up, China has begun to transition from participation to leadership in development.”

Director Su Kai candidly noted that many primary stroke centers in China currently lack such software. The subjectivity of human assessment and the challenges in standardizing evaluation protocols are significant pain points, which AI effectively addresses, ultimately benefiting patients. Similarly, Professor Yang Pengfei from Changhai Hospital emphasized that AI assistance is indispensable for optimizing stroke diagnosis and treatment workflows. This is particularly critical for the precise assessment of patients with large vessel occlusion (LVO), as it not only saves valuable time but also provides physicians with more accurate and reliable predictions.

Regarding the vision for diagnostics and treatment, Shu Chang expressed during the roundtable discussion that GE Healthcare looks forward to leveraging digitalization in the future to address existing shortcomings, partnering with clinical experts to rapidly enhance diagnostic and therapeutic precision based on clinical needs. “Empowered by AI and future 5G, GE Healthcare hopes to collaborate with benchmark hospitals to fully extend our stroke diagnosis and treatment capabilities to primary care facilities. By working alongside experts and industry associations, we aim to improve the efficiency and accuracy of clinical care. Therefore, we hold great expectations for the future of AI, and a breakthrough phase is imminent.”

“What’s past is prologue, and today marks our true beginning.” At the conclusion of the press conference, Liu Wenzhe shared this vision, “We believe that together with GE Healthcare, and in partnership with a broad network of clinical experts, we will generate more academic outputs based on intelligent diagnostic and therapeutic assessments in the future. More importantly, we will drive meaningful improvements in the quality and efficiency of actual clinical care. The future is already here. Let us join hands to usher in a new era of ‘Intelligent Stroke Therapy’.”

This article is sourced from EqualOcean. Original article. Author: Lin Yiling. For reprint or collaboration, please click the reprint guidelines. Unauthorized reprints will be subject to legal action.