SimonMed has partnered with Optellum to integrate AI-powered lung nodule malignancy-risk assessment directly into its existing imaging workflow.
The deployment is designed to allow eligible pulmonary nodules identified during routine chest CT examinations to move from detection and characterisation into malignancy-risk assessment without requiring a separate workflow or manual case selection.
Under the partnership, eligible nodules will be analysed using Optellum’s Lung Cancer Prediction AI, which generates a validated risk score intended to support clinical decision-making.
The software is an FDA-cleared decision-support tool for malignancy-risk prediction in eligible incidentally detected pulmonary nodules.
The integration builds on SimonMed’s existing AI-enhanced lung nodule programme, which uses Infervision technology for automated volumetric measurement and interval-growth tracking.
By adding Optellum’s platform, SimonMed aims to provide referring clinicians with additional information on the likelihood that an eligible nodule is malignant.
“For the first time, eligible pulmonary nodules can move seamlessly from detection to malignancy risk assessment without requiring a separate workflow, additional clicks, or manual case selection,” said Dr Sean Raj, Chief Medical Officer and Chief Innovation Officer at SimonMed.
He said the implementation is intended to provide more consistent assessment while keeping radiologists central to clinical decision-making.
Millions of pulmonary nodules are identified incidentally on CT examinations each year, but determining which patients require further investigation can be challenging.
SimonMed said integrating automated risk assessment into routine imaging could help reduce variability and support earlier identification of patients who may require further clinical evaluation.
Specialist oversight remains part of the workflow.
Each AI-generated risk score is reviewed and confirmed by a board-certified SimonMed radiologist before being incorporated into the final imaging report.
The score is considered alongside imaging findings, previous examinations, patient risk factors and relevant clinical guidelines.
Once fully deployed, the workflow is expected to automatically evaluate eligible pulmonary nodules across SimonMed’s outpatient imaging network.
SimonMed operates more than 175 imaging centres across 10 US states and has more than 300 subspecialty-trained radiologists.
Optellum’s Virtual Nodule Clinic and Lung Cancer Prediction AI are also CE-MDR marked, UKCA marked and TGA-approved.
The partnership reflects a broader shift in medical imaging towards integrating multiple AI tools into existing clinical pathways rather than operating each technology as a standalone application.
