In 1999, a website called AuntMinnie.com was launched, and for the past 23 years it has provided a focal point where the latest news on medical imaging has been featured. The provenance for the term “Aunt Minnie” can be traced back to radiologist Ben Felson who in the 1940s described “a case with radiologic findings so specific and compelling that no realistic differential diagnosis exists. Thus, if the image looks like your Aunt Minnie, then it must indeed be your Aunt Minnie!
Each year since 2000, the editors at AuntMinnie.com have recognized the “best of the best in radiology,” identifying the people and technologies that have had an important impact. These awards – known as the Minnies – have made a vital contribution to the field, and ten years ago breast imaging was dominant, winning 4 of the 14 categories. This year the two dominant technologies have been photon-counting computer tomography (CT) – which was recognised for the Hottest Clinical Procedure, Best New Device, and Image of the Year – and artificial intelligence (AI), awarded for Best New Radiology Software, and Best New Radiology Vendor.
Aidoc was awarded Best New Radiology Software for its AI Operating System which is a platform that supports AI algorithms from both Aidoc itself and other third-party developers. “How do we create an AI-connected enterprise where all the AI data funnels into with a unified architecture and all departments speak with one another?” asked CEO Elad Walach rhetorically. He continued, “Everything’s on one platform – cardiology, neurology, radiology, critical care, and oncology – and that gives us both the scalability and connectivity benefits we really wanted to see.”
Winner in the Best New Radiology Vendor category was Annalise.ai which has developed AI software that has been designed to identify a wide range of findings. The company’s first product called Enterprise CXR was trained on almost 800,000 chest X-rays and is able to detect 124 findings, while Enterprise CTB provides support for CT images of the brain. The company’s chief medical officer Rick Abramson said, “We have a lot of interest in developing a comprehensive solutions suite that extends all along the radiology value chain.”
Runner-up in the Best New Radiology Software category was Koios DS, a smart ultrasound package that utilises AI to provide clinical decision support (DS) for the diagnosis of breast cancer. The package is compatible with all major vendors of hand-held ultrasound systems and provides feedback to the clinician while the patient is being scanned (seen above right, © Koios). Recognition by the Minnies will no doubt provide a welcome boost to the company’s bottom line.