Nanox touts new AMA CPT code as ‘validation’ of its cardiac imaging platform
The American Medical Association recently released a new current procedural terminology code for quantitative CT tissue characterization that medical imaging firm Nanox says opens the door for more radiologists to use its federally-approved cardiac imaging solution, according to an announcement shared Tuesday.
The Israeli company touted the category 3 code as “validation” of its HealthCCSng platform, an artificial intelligence-powered heart imaging tool that automatically categorizes non-gated CT scans based on the presence of coronary artery calcium. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration awarded Zebra Medical Vision clearance for the solution back in September, before Nanox purchased the company for nearly $200 million.
“This is an important validation of our technology,” Zohar Elhanani, general manager at Nanox.AI, formerly known as Zebra Medical Vision, said in a statement. “We hope to promote detection and treatment of cardiovascular disease in the general population, many of whom don’t know they are at risk of cardiovascular disease.”
In fact, up to 50% of patients are unaware they have CVD until after their first heart attack, placing the disease as a leading cause of death worldwide.
HealthCCSng assesses commonly ordered CT scans and separates patients into three distinct risk categories based on CAC levels. Nanox says radiologists practicing in the U.S. can incorporate the tool into existing workflows and, beginning July 1, use the code when performing chest CT exams.
“We believe this is an important milestone that will enable radiologists and physicians in the United States to provide their patients with better care and a promising step toward realizing the promise of Nanox’s end-to-end, globally connected medical imaging solution and the growing importance of AI-based imaging technologies in value-based care,” said Nanox CEO Erez Meltzer.
The imaging disruptor has grown to become one of the more controversial companies operating in the radiology space over the past few years. In April 2021, Nanox earned long-awaited FDA clearance for its novel single-source X-ray system after delays and class action lawsuits pushed some to label the company as “Theranos 2.0.”
More recently, the publicly traded firm revealed an ongoing Securities and Exchange Commission investigation into its business practices. Nanox claims its systems can produce high-quality images at lower costs and hopes to eventually serve some 6,000 freestanding imaging centers and more than 7,500 urgent clinics.
Matt joined Chicago’s TriMed team in 2018 covering all areas of health imaging after two years reporting on the hospital field. He holds a bachelor’s in English from UIC, and enjoys a good cup of coffee and an interesting documentary.