Our Story
Over the past few decades, perfusion MRI has become a widely recognized and powerful tool for obtaining information about patterns of tumor vascularization. In the context of primary brain cancer, it quickly became apparent that perfusion MRI can provide critical physiological information to complement anatomical imaging in diagnosis, treatment planning, monitoring and follow-up for brain tumors. As this technology moved from the research setting into the clinical workflow, research hospitals, major companies and even small startups all developed their own ways of acquiring and analyzing the perfusion data, each of which yielded slightly different results. “Who does it the best?” was the question posed by a neuro-oncologist regarding MR perfusion back in 2004. That question triggered a multi-year comparison study in which numerous MR acquisition and post-processing techniques were evaluated. The results of that study proved there was an optimal perfusion approach to creating reliable maps of vascularity – unique in the way the method accounted for disruption to the blood-brain-barrier around tumors. That study was the genesis of Imaging Biometrics, LLC (IB) in 2007, formed to bring this proven method to more patients and institutions, by automating and standardizing the method in our first product, IB Neuro™ DSC perfusion analysis.
By designing IB Neuro as an independent software plug-in, we were able to leverage the widely-available OsiriX platform to validate the application. The active members of the OsiriX Users Group subjected IB Neuro to images from a wide array of scanner vendors and settings. Essentially, IB Neuro was “beaten up” and, through this process, matured into a robust and vendor-neutral perfusion solution. Feedback from this User Group and our clients led us to develop our next product, IB Diffusion™, in 2008.
Since our inception, Imaging Biometrics has continued to translate the best new image analysis technologies into reliable software applications for routine clinical practice. Working in close collaboration with leading hospitals and medical researchers, we have further improved and solidified IB Neuro as the gold standard in perfusion MR for brain tumors via stereotactic tissue correlations and outcomes measurements. In addition to our own in-house developments, we have also improved and expanded our product line by incorporating exclusively-licensed technologies developed by other research groups when these have proven advantageous. IB Delta Suite™, which is used to generate quantitative Delta T1 maps, includes an AI-based image standardization approach first developed by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania. This standardization simplifies the interpretation of the images by removing complexity related to the specific MR acquisition technique and scanner type used to acquire them so that the reader can focus on the underlying meaning.
Our most recent product, IB DCE™, complements IB Neuro by providing a proven method for analyzing dynamic contrast-enhanced MR series and yielding additional information about tumor vascularity. Our patented dual-echo MR acquisition process collects both DSC and DCE in a single MR acquisition sequence and may be used with the IB Neuro application to create maps of physiological parameters.
Recognizing the importance of speed and ease of use in the clinical setting, we focus on simplifying sophisticated applications and enhancing workflows for robust and reliable routine use. That focus has led to the development of IB Rad Tech™, a workflow engine that provides customizable automated workflows for IB’s suite of applications for brain tumor analysis.
Throughout our history, we have partnered with academic groups and start-up companies to help them bring their technologies to market while adhering to the same rigorous quality standards we have applied to our own products.
In March of 2018, IB was acquired by IQ-AI Limited (London, UK) and is pursuing development efforts in the exciting world of artificial intelligence and deep learning networks.
Solving complex problems with powerful, elegant, best-in-class solutions is what we do. When our clients come to us in search of help with difficult problems, they know that they can count on us to provide new insights and meaningful improvements, always with patient care as our highest priority.
