RetCAD™ software for eye disease screening has been granted a Class IIa MDR CE certification. The certification represents Thirona’s strong commitment to quality and risk management, supported by clinical evaluation.

Nijmegen, the Netherlands (January 26^th, 2022) – Thirona, one of the leading companies specializing in artificial intelligence for medical image analysis, has been granted a MDR CE certification for its class IIa RetCAD™ software for eye disease screening, confirming compliance with the highest standards required for medical solutions providers.

RetCAD™ is a CE (0344) certified software product using artificial intelligence that analyses color fundus images for the presence of Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Diabetic Retinopathy (DR). It assists eye care providers in early diagnosis and grading of the vision threatening diseases. RetCAD™ uses state-of-the-art deep learning and computer vision technology, utilizing large amounts of human-specialist graded images, to provide quantified clinical outcome measures.

Having every patient fundus examination instantly analyzed with a clinically validated software system, initial screening procedures can be done more efficiently and at least as accurate as when conducted by human experts. Simplified visualization of the examination analysis with heat maps supports clinicians in validating the AI results and helps improve patient engagement in the prevention of severe eyesight problems and blindness.

RetCAD™ is distributed worldwide through integration partnerships with major fundus camera vendors such as Topcon, Canon, Tomey and Nidek, as well as medical solutions providers such as Delft Imaging and iCare. The Class IIa European MDR CE certification proves the highest quality assurance and the long-term commitment of Thirona as trusted technology partner for eye care.

The MDR (Regulation (EU) 2017/745) replaces the former European Medical Device Directive (93/42/EEC) and includes more strict standards and requirements to ensure improved clinical safety and reliability of medical products and solutions.

"The new MDR regulation puts much stronger emphasis on evaluation of the clinical data, requiring AI companies to meet very stringent quality and safety requirements." says Mark van Grinsven, Head of Product Development at Thirona. "Thirona builds upon clinical data available in-house and data provided by clinical partners, as we have always put emphasis on the importance of clinical evaluation and collaboration with clinical experts. Now that also our methods for clinical evaluation have been further refined and linked to risk management and post-market surveillance, we are proud to offer our customers a high performing, safe and reliable solution."

"Quality and regulatory compliance has always been the key building block of our product development, next to risk management, clinical validation and usability. Working already with rigorous quality standards, we were able to obtain the EU-MDR compliance for our Quality Management System and a first of our products relatively quickly, back in September 2020", comments Lydia Pannekoek, Quality Assurance Manager at Thirona. "RetCAD™ is already our 3^rd   product with MDR certification."

Thirona is an innovative company specializing in artificial intelligence for medical image analysis that allow for precise quantification of disease symptoms and contribute to personalized patient treatment. Thirona partners with research institutions and medical companies in their innovation trajectories aimed to enable breakthroughs in treatment development and clinical care. Founded in 2014 by female scientist Eva van Rikxoort, the company develops highly innovative deep learning solutions for lung and retinal image analysis. Rooted in science and providing reliable and user-friendly solutions, it bridges the gap between academic ideas and clinical use. Since inception in 2014, Thirona has become an important player in the medical imaging field.

For more information visit: retcad.eu

Contact: mediarelations@thirona.eu