iMerit launches an Annotation Copilot to transform radiology image analysis

On December 1, 2024, in San Jose, California, iMerit, a leader in AI data solutions, unveiled its new Annotation Copilot for Radiology called ANCOR during the annual conference of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). This innovative tool is designed to enhance the efficiency and accuracy of radiology AI development by assisting radiologists and AI professionals in generating high-quality training data while prioritizing patient safety. ANCOR is integrated with iMerit's Ango Hub product and provides customization for various medical image data annotation workflows, catering to specialties such as mammography and cardiology. ANCOR is an intelligent assistant that allows users to streamline their work processes significantly. Customer tests have shown that the tool reduces research time from one hour to just 15 minutes, effectively making complex guidelines, which could extend to 90 pages, instantly accessible through queries. The generated annotations not only save time but also enhance output speeds by 2x with a remarkable 38% improvement in accuracy. Key features of the Annotation Copilot include sub-domain expertise, customized training according to project needs, context-aware guidance, real-time annotation support, and multimodal capabilities that enhance understanding through the combination of text and image analysis. According to Dr. Sina Bari, Associate Vice President of Healthcare & Life Sciences AI at iMerit, the new Annotation Copilot is positioned to significantly benefit radiologists by alleviating some of their workloads while simultaneously increasing productivity. The tool allows developers to access high-quality annotations that contribute to the development of more effective AI models. Furthermore, CEO Radha Basu expressed that as customers face increasingly complex challenges, there is a growing demand for optimized workflows in medical image data annotation. To meet this demand, the design of ANCOR is informed by insights gained from iMerit's extensive experience across numerous projects. Looking ahead, Dr. Bari indicated that future versions of ANCOR could evolve into autonomous agents capable of revising guidelines, communicating directly with clients, and providing feedback to teams. This evolution will further strengthen ANCOR’s role within the broader Ango Hub ecosystem for medical imaging, providing medical professionals with more powerful and flexible tools to meet their needs. As iMerit continues to enhance ANCOR’s capabilities, the company aims to drive improvements in healthcare AI model development and patient care solutions.