Riverain gets FDA approval of lung cancer detection software

Riverain Technologies has received regulatory approval for the next-generation version of its imaging software that "suppresses" bones to help radiologists detect cancerous lung nodules. OnGuard 5.2, the latest version of the software, uses pattern recognition and machine learning technologies to essentially allow radiologists to see behind ribs and clavicles that often obscure lung abnormalities. OnGuard also circles areas that may be a lung tumor, according to the Dayton, Ohio-area company. The software's aim is to help clinicians reading chest X-rays get better views of pulmonary nodules -- spots on the lungs that can be a form of early stage cancer, but can also be benign. The new version of the software offers greater sensitivity, meaning it can better detect nodules, and better specificity, meaning it yields fewer false positives, said Steve Worrell, Riverain's chief technology officer.