Feedback inks 3D medical imaging partnership deal

Medical imaging technology company Feedback announced a commercial partnership with Axial Medical Printing (Axial3D) on Tuesday, to enable the visualisation and use of 3D clinical-grade medical images from a patient's own 2D scan through Feedback's medical imaging communications platform ‘Bleepa’.

The AIM-traded firm said Axial3D used “advanced artificial intelligence (AI) technologies” to automatically segment imaging data and pull out isolated 3D reconstructions of individual organs or pathologies.

It said those images would be available to view in the Bleepa platform and if required, could be turned into 3D printed models in a variety of materials.

Axial3D's AI imaging technology would be integrated with Bleepa to enable the movement of users and DICOM - the standard format for medical images - between the two platforms, leveraging Bleepa's digital modular design to provide clinicians with 3D-rendered images of specific pathologies or organs.

By partnering, the company said frontline clinicians would be able to request Axial3D image renders from within Bleepa.

The Bleepa user would be able to click through to Axial3D's system from Bleepa, and the supporting DICOM study would be automatically pushed by Bleepa to Axial3D.

Axial3D would enter into its own commercial relationship with customers, but Bleepa would act as the user access point, and would facilitate the data transfer on its behalf, with the customer's permission and following the agreed data processing arrangements between the customer and Axial3D, the board explained.

The commercial agreement would enable joint- and cross-selling of both products through each company's distribution channels to new and existing customers, enabling both organisations to grow collaboratively.

Under the agreement, Feedback said it would receive a commission for each user-generated image request from Axial3D.

The board said it was the first example of its strategy to leverage its growing user base to generate supplementary revenue, over and above the main user licence fee.

“The addition of 3D imaging and printing enhances our value proposition to Bleepa users and re-enforces our vision to bring clinicians together, armed with the tools and information they need to make better informed decisions faster,” said chief executive officer Dr Tom Oakley.

“We are delighted to have Axial3D as such a dynamic and cutting-edge partner who share our vision and passion for supporting frontline clinicians.

“We hope that Bleepa will make Axial's technology even more accessible to a wider clinical user base and that our partnership will help to drive the adoption of this key technology into the mainstream of frontline care.”

Dr Oakley said the “important milestone” confirmed the company’s strategy of “becoming a gatekeeper platform” for third-party technologies, in order to generate additional revenues beyond the Bleepa user licence.

“We hope that this will be the first of many such partnerships.”

At 1309 BST, shares in Feedback were ip 3.99% at 1.04p.