Clinical images assist physicians in routine clinical practice. However, there is an increasing need for a single software/platform, which is compatible with multiple modalities such as CT, and MRI available through different vendors. Against this backdrop, Japan’s Canon Medical Systems Corp. received additional US FDA 510(k) approval for Vitrea Software Package, a vendor-agnostic multi-modality image visualization platform, to analyze clinical images. Regulatory approvals coupled with sustained growth in the diagnostic imaging market are expected to drive the image visualization solutions market of Japan, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

Dr. Satyajeet Salunkhe, Medical Devices Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Currently, most of the software applications available to analyze clinical images are propriety with limited analysis capabilities. The equipment-specific software limits the image analysis and restricts precise diagnosis. Therefore, physicians need a vendor-agnostic platform that can process the images with advanced analytical capabilities.”

Clinical imaging modalities such as CT, MRI, PET scans, and X-ray angiography (XA) generate multidimensional images. To get more insight, images need to be visualized in 2D, 3D, and 4D formats. Visualization software helps physicians to annotate images, take measurements, and manipulate them in real-time.

Currently, XA-based clinical imaging is used to locate diseases such as brain aneurysms and cardiac abnormalities. The Artery Morphological Analysis application in Vitrea makes it easier to identify and segment cerebral artery aneurysms. Additionally, the wall motion tracking application of Vitrea helps cardiologists to perform cardiac functional analysis using MRI scans.

According to GlobalData’s research, Japan is one of the leading diagnostic imaging markets in the Asia-Pacific region with a market value contribution of about 26.8% in 2022. The growth in the diagnostic imaging market is expected to boost the demand for advanced application softwares for image visualization and analysis.

Dr. Salunkhe concludes: “Advanced visualization of medical images offers exhaustive details of anatomical structures. Software applications such as Vitrea can analyze clinical images and carry out image processing. Moreover, the integration of computer graphics and artificial intelligence will help in further improving image visualization and analysis thereby offering a better diagnosis of diseases.”