Hologic has launched new management software for its mammography machines, which clinics can use to track performance—as well as predict the potential failure of X-ray hardware and help schedule early replacements.
The company’s Unifi Analytics platform evaluates mammography efficiency and technologist accuracy and allows imaging centers to benchmark themselves against similar facilities. By identifying potential risks and challenges, Hologic hopes the software can help maximize device utilization.
By tracking a clinic’s installed base of mammography devices, the web-based tool can predict X-ray tube failures before they occur—generally caused by electrical arcing and filament burnouts over time—allowing facilities to avoid downtime.
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“With reimbursement and payment landscapes shifting, and quality metrics and the patient experience becoming more important than ever, Unifi Analytics will serve a critical role for our partners,” Pete Valenti, Hologic’s division president of breast and skeletal health solutions, said in a statement.
In addition, predictive procedure volume and quality reports can notify facilities if they move off target, to help avoid regulatory compliance issues. All the data collected is de-identified in line with HIPAA privacy rules, while no personal health information is recorded, the company said.
Hologic’s U.S. breast health division, including interventional offerings, recently posted its highest growth rate in three years—up 12.6% in the company’s first fiscal quarter of 2019, compared to the same time a year before—and bringing in $252.6 million in revenue. Ending Dec. 29, 2018, the quarter also saw global breast imaging revenues grow 14.3%, to $269.7 million up from $235.9 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2018.