The computer-aided detection (CAD) technology, which Kodak acquired from MiraMedica, Los Gatos, California, includes software that automatically highlights suspicious areas on patients'' digital medical images or digitised film images, signalling radiologists to closely examine these areas for possible disease. MiraMedica is one of the medical imaging industry''s innovators of CAD technology.

Kodak acquired the technology for an undisclosed sum. To support it, and to accelerate and lead other CAD development at Kodak, a number of MiraMedica employees will join Kodak''s Health Imaging Group.

CAD technology — which pinpoints suspicious areas on medical images by analysing the shape, groupings and other characteristics of abnormalities and determining their correlation to previously analysed disease characteristics — will add a new dimension to Kodak''s portfolio of digital medical imaging products. It also will expand Kodak''s capabilities in ''image intelligence'', a key element in the company''s strategy for leading the digital information transformation occurring in the medical imaging field.

"Image intelligence includes advanced medical image processing techniques like CAD that are changing the way medical imaging is performed around the world," says Dan Kerpelman, president, Kodak Health Imaging Group, and senior vice-president, Eastman Kodak Company. "This is an important area of focus for Health Imaging, and this acquisition creates exciting product development opportunities for our organisation."

During the coming months, Kodak will announce product commercialisation plans resulting from the acquisition. The company will offer CAD software as a stand-alone product and as a component of its digital capture and image-and-information management systems.

"MiraMedica had made rapid progress in developing CAD software for mammography screening," says Caren Mason, president and CEO, MiraMedica. "Combining Kodak''s outstanding brand, global presence and digital imaging expertise with MiraMedica''s innovative core technology will accelerate Kodak''s participation in image intelligence."

Kodak already has begun to announce key staff assignments as part of integrating MiraMedica into Health Imaging. Wido Menhardt, MiraMedica''s chief technology officer, will become the general manager of CAD operations, and Mason has agreed to serve as a business consultant during the transition.

MiraMedica was formed in 2001 with funding from St. Paul Venture Capital and Windamere Venture Partners. MiraMedica''s CAD technology is built upon a platform exclusively licensed from Lockheed Martin Space Systems and the University of South Florida.