A PAN-European effort to make it easier for doctors to detect heart abnormalities is being spearheaded by a new Oxford company.

Oxford Medical Image Analysis, the 19th company to spin out of research at Oxford University, is producing computer software to improve doctors' interpretation of images from hospital scanners.

Founded by Prof Mike Brady, Oxford's BP Professor of Information Engineering, and Dr Jacques Feldman, from the M- cole Polytechnique in Paris, the firm, based in Mill Street, Oxford, is funded by Oxford University and Oxford Instruments founder Sir Martin Wood.

One of its systems has already been used by brain surgeons to reduce the risk of complications in operations to remove brain tumours.

It can put together a 3D picture using two images from an X-ray scan and a magnetic resonance image, both needed to pinpoint the position of a brain tumour.

The computer system can produce figures against which doctors can assess the condition of their patients, improving clinical accuracy and ease of diagnosis.

When heart patients have ultrasound scans, it can track the movement of the left ventricle through each heart beat, pinpointing any heart defects.

The heart research is being carried out by Oxford's Medical Vision Laboratory and the Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Maranon in Madrid.

Chief executive Max Wilson said: "Doctors worldwide are under substantial cost and performance pressure.

"OMIA's new image analysis tools will help clinicians to make fuller use of the substantial investment that has been made in imaging equipment and achieve a better end-result for their patients."

It has been tested by doctors at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford to ensure it is user-friendly.

The company plans to adapt the software for use with existing medical scanners, making it cheaper to instal.

It has won a Smart award from the Department of Trade and Industry to commercialise the ultrasound software and make it easy to use.

Story date: Friday 11 February

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