Medtronic's Medical Device Boosts Polyp Detection in Colonoscopy

Medtronic recently confirmed the effectiveness of its medical device, GI Genius intelligent endoscopy module, which uses artificial intelligence (AI) to detect colorectal polyps during colonoscopy.  

Researchers conducted the randomized trial at hospitals and community clinics in the US, Italy, and the UK. Nearly 230 male and female patients aged 45 and older undergoing a screening or surveillance colonoscopy for colorectal cancer were enrolled in the trial.  

Trial results, published in the American Gastroenterological Association, found that GI Genius in conjunction with colonoscopy significantly decreases the miss rate of colorectal polyps and adenomas compared to standard colonoscopy.  

The adenoma miss rate (AMR) was notably lower when providers leveraged GI Genius (15.5%) than a non-AI-assisted colonoscopy (32.4%). The trial also found that false-negative rates were much lower than that of a non-AI-assisted colonoscopy (6.8% vs. 29.6%) when a GI Genius-assisted colonoscopy detected adenomas after an initial standard colonoscopy did not. 

"We know that colonoscopy is the gold standard for colon cancer screening and this study unequivocally demonstrates that AI-technology can help physicians better detect polyps during the procedure,"   Austin Chiang, MD, MPH, chief medical officer of the gastrointestinal business, part of the medical-surgical portfolio at Medtronic, said in the announcement.  

"As a gastroenterologist, I worry about missed polyps because around half of all cases of post-colonoscopy colorectal cancer may be attributed to not catching them during the index colonoscopy. The impact of missed polyps could ultimately be the difference between life and death," Chiang continued.  

The trial findings emphasize topline results from the November 2021 DETECT study, which found that both the AMR and polyp miss rate (PMR) greatly improved with GI Genius.  

Colorectal cancer is the third most diagnosed cancer. In 2020, over 1.8 million people were diagnosed with colorectal cancer. But about 90% of patients can beat this type of cancer when caught early, and the 5-year survival rate is nearly 65%.  

In April 2021, FDA authorized the GI Genius intelligent endoscopy module in the US. This device is the first and only commercially available computer-aided detection (CADe) system using AI to identify colorectal polyps.  

The FDA based its authorization on a study that found that colonoscopy plus GI Genius identified lab-confirmed adenomas or carcinomas in 55.1% of patients compared to 42% of patients with standard colonoscopy.