UHealth and 4DMedical Launch a Research Program Advancing Breakthrough Lung Technology

UHealth – the University of Miami Health System, the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, and 4DMedical recently announced the creation of the Functional Lung Imaging Research Program in the Department of Medicine’s Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at the Miller School. 4DMedical is an Australian medical technology company and the developer of XV Technology, a four-dimensional lung imaging technology.

The Functional Lung Imaging Research Program, 4DMedical’s first research program in a U.S. health system, will use its breakthrough imaging technology to improve treatment outcomes for patients with chronic lung diseases. It will define the physiological impact of numerous lung-related conditions such as emphysema, cystic fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary embolism, and lung cancer on respiratory function to improve diagnostic approaches and management strategies for patients.

The summary page of an XV LVAS ventilation report. XV LVAS provides quantitative measures (i.e. Tidal volume), scores (i.e. Ventilation Deficit Percentage) and a histogram on the uniformity of a patient’s ventilation. It also displays ventilation data as static and dynamic colored heatmaps to visually identify areas of regional ventilation heterogeneity.

“We look forward to using this new imaging development,” said Naresh M. Punjabi, M.D., Ph.D., chief of the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine at the Miller School. “The fully functional lung imaging capability provided by 4DMedical will be used to achieve deeper insights into disease pathophysiology and help pave the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic solutions.”

The Functional Lung Imaging Research Program will encompass pre-clinical studies, as well as clinical studies, to deliver targeted therapeutic options for patients. “We are pleased to be working with 4DMedical on this project,” said Roy E. Weiss, M.D., Ph.D., chair of the Department of Medicine at the Miller School, the Kathleen & Stanley Glaser Distinguished Chair in Medicine and the Rabbi Morris I. Esformes Endowed Chair in Medicine and Endocrinology, “4DMedical’s functional lung imaging technology will be used to better understand how acute and chronic disease of the lung influences its function, which will help guide our decisions on treatments for our patients.”

This program will help researchers and physicians define ventilatory abnormalities in the lungs of patients who are experiencing chronic or acute respiratory diseases. This targeted, customized approach, reinforced by the accuracy of XV Technology, improves the effectiveness of treatment options available to patients.

“Working with 4DMedical exemplifies our commitment to harness innovative technology in the quest for comprehensive treatment options for our patients,” said Henri R. Ford, M.D., M.H.A., dean and chief academic officer of the Miller School of Medicine. “Effective treatment protocols require an accurate understanding of the disease’s presentation. We plan to add 4DMedical’s XV Technology to help us gather and apply foundational medical information required to deliver customized and effective therapies for those suffering from chronic lung diseases.”

4DMedical’s XV Technology™ is available through secure cloud subscription and can be implemented immediately with no capital expenditure by using existing hospital and clinical infrastructure. Imaging departments electronically transmit radiographic images collected with existing fluoroscopy equipment to 4DMedical. The XV Technology software automatically analyzes and applies its proprietary algorithms to identify and quantify regional functional impairment in both lungs. The resulting report numerically quantifies and graphically displays the regional impairments, which can then be used by clinicians to better understand the patient’s current functional state and assess the most effective therapeutic action.

“4DMedical is thrilled to partner with UHealth and the Miller School of Medicine on an initiative that provides huge potential for positive impact — from preclinical research, clinical trials and clinical piloting of our FDA cleared, XV LVAS ventilation report,” said 4DMedical founder and CEO Andreas Fouras, Ph.D.  “The leadership and commitment of University of Miami to XV Technology will help identify immediate use cases and novel new applications for our technology.”

About 4DMedical:
4DMedical is a medical technology company aiming to deliver the global gold standard in respiratory diagnostics for all lung disorders including coronavirus, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis and cancer.

The unique 4DMedical technology accurately and quickly scans lung function as the patient breathes, to provide sensitive, early diagnosis and to monitor changes over time. Our Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) scans deliver much more complete results, showing even subtle variations in lung function down to the finest details, using lower levels of radiation than traditional methods.

Respiratory diagnosis is a $30 billion a year global industry. Through its technology 4DMedical provides clinicians with greater insights into diseases of the lung. 4DMedical is focused on providing better information to doctors and patients about lung function.  Better information means better decisions, and better outcomes.

Tags: Dean Henri Ford, Dr. Naresh Punjabi, Dr. Roy Weiss, Functional Lung Imaging Research Program