Olympus’s Odin Medical bags FDA 510(k) clearance for its Caddie computer-aided detection (CADe) device. It’s a cloud-based AI that helps gastroenterologists find suspected colorectal polyps during a colonoscopy. Olympus states that this is the first cloud-based AI technology for this purpose. It might even compete with the Medtronic AI-supported GI Genius platform. 

“Together with Olympus, we are proud to bring this groundbreaking technology to the U.S.,” Odin Vision CEO Peter Mountney said. “The cloud gives us the ability to keep hospitals up-to-date with advances in AI and gives peace of mind to doctors that they can easily access current technology for their patients.”

Caddie is a system that processes colonoscopy videos in real-time and uses visual cues to inform the endoscopists of possible polyps. Then the endoscopist reviews the areas Caddie has flagged as potential polyps and determines the results.

One of Olympus’s goals is to make colonoscopy, the gold standard of colorectal screening, more effective. It is the company’s wish that they can lighten the social burden of deaths from colorectal cancer. According to them, their Olympus Intelligent Endoscopy Ecosystem utilizing Caddie could support and make clinical decision-making more accurate in that area.

“As a global leader in endoscopy, it is our vision to make AI a key component of our digital transformation. Odin’s success with this FDA clearance is an important step forward. A digitally transformed endoscopy ecosystem has the potential to support doctors and hospitals as they navigate global industry megatrends like cost pressures and staff shortages, in the context of an aging population,” said Miquel Àngel García, global head of Endoscopy Solutions Ecosystem at Olympus Corporation. “We are very excited about the huge opportunities for patients and healthcare systems that these advancements make possible.”