AI-powered healthcare company Viz.ai has teamed up with NICO Corporation, a supplier of minimally-invasive neurosurgery technologies, to improve the treatment for patients with intracerebral haemorrhages.

The collaboration will use Viz.ai’s technology that enables hospitals to detect the disease earlier and get accurate measurements of brain bleeds which are essential for determining the severity of cases.

It will also leverage NICO’s technology that provides early and safe access to the brain with its BrainPath solution and maximal evacuation of the clot with the Myriad solution.

The combination of technologies from both companies will facilitate broader efficiencies and enhance patient care.

Viz.ai CEO and co-founder Chris Mansi said: “The results of the ENRICH trial have finally shown positive treatment data on one of the most costly and deadly diseases.

“We’re excited to collaborate with NICO, leveraging our broadly deployed AI platform to assist neurosurgeons in their decision-making and improve patient outcomes post intracerebral haemorrhage.”

Intracerebral haemorrhage (ICH), caused by bleeding within the brain tissue, is a life-threatening type of stroke, accounts for up to 15% of all strokes, and has high morbidity and mortality rates.

According to Viz.ai, haemorrhagic stroke costs the US healthcare system around $17bn, with $12bn in estimated annual costs of care and productivity losses for survivors.

The New England Journal of Medicine recently published the results of the ENRICH (Early MiNimally-invasive Removal of ICH) trial.

The study showed that early minimally invasive parafascicular surgery (MIPS) using NICO’s technology is safe and superior to medical management (MM), the current standard of care.

With the Viz ICH Plus module, hospital and health systems can automatically identify, label, and quantify the volume of brain structures on non-contrast computed tomography (NCCT) images.

The AI-powered module allows radiologists, neurologists and neurosurgeons to easily incorporate it into their workflows, detect brain bleeds and automate the process of measurement of brain bleeds.

NICO president and CEO Jim Pearson said: “The combination of our patented technologies, the collaboration with Viz.ai and the results of the ENRICH trial are transforming the way that ICH is treated.

“The AI modules, Viz ICH and Viz ICH Plus are a welcomed enhancement to patient care by leveraging AI-powered care coordination, getting patients the care they need, when they need it most.”