Tokyo, Japan ― May 25 , 2021 － LPIXEL Inc., a leader in image analysis and processing in life science and medical research, announced today the approval from the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency (PMDA) in Japan for “EIRL　Brain Segmentation”, its image analysis software that automatically extracts intracranial high attenuation areas from head CT images by connecting to a CT or PACS, and outputs the extracted regions to a doctors’ viewer. Through this EIRL Brain Segmentation launch, LPIXEL plans to further amplify its research and development efforts of the EIRL Series for emergency medical care.

About Cerebral Hemorrhage
Cerebral hemorrhage, one of the most common types of strokes, is a condition in which a cerebral artery breaks and bleeds into the brain due to hypertension, brain tumors, or abnormalities in cerebral blood vessels. Nerve cells in the brain may be compressed by bleeding in various locations, causing symptoms such as headache, limbs paralysis, or loss of consciousness. When these symptoms are observed, a head CT scan is performed to determine the location and amount of bleeding from the findings of white-appearing areas (high attenuation areas) compared to the surrounding normal structures. Thus, a definitive diagnosis is made.

About Cerebral Hemorrhage and emergency medical care
Depending on the severity of illness/injury and the urgency, patients are divided into three levels (primary, secondary, or tertiary) of emergency care. Patients categorized into the secondary emergency care are delivered to a medical facility, where doctors with extensive knowledge and experience in emergency medicine can provide inpatient care, including treatment and surgery, 24 hours a day. As of October 2017, there are 4,006 facilities for secondary emergency care in Japan[1], and they are the most widely established. For treatment of strokes such as cerebral hemorrhage, while tertiary emergency care facilities accept critically ill patients, secondary emergency care facilities have also played a significant role, treating 60% of such cases[2] Accordingly, the following issues have become apparent.

Strengthening the system for secondary emergency care
Approximately 70% of hospitals have only one doctor in charge of on-call emergencies[3], and in some cases non-specialized doctors have to diagnose cerebral hemorrhage. This system may cause a risk of oversight, and there is a need to establish a better system in light of limited medical resources.

Reducing Emergency Department Overuse
It has been pointed out that physicians at emergency department spend more time in the clinic and are on duty more often than those at other departments [4]. Thus, creating an environment supporting unskilled physicians is expected to reduce overused physicians in emergency departments.

[1] Medical facilities survey on static and dynamic, Overview of hospitals conducted by Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, 2017 shows that facilities for emergency care in Japan are 288 for Primary, 4,006 for Secondary, 1659 for Tertiary; https://www.mhlw.go.jp/toukei/saikin/hw/iryosd/17/dl/09gaikyo29.pdf
[2] Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Emergency Medicine and Current Issues; https://www.mhlw.go.jp/content/10802000/000563879.pdf
[3] Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare, Current status of emergency centers and secondary emergency medical institutions; https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/shingi/2r9852000002xuhe-att/2r9852000002xuo0.pdf
[4] same as the above [3]

About EIRL
EIRL is the collective name given to LPIXEL’s AI medical image diagnostic support technology. LPIXEL aims to provide solutions that enable a faster and more accurate diagnosis by implementing its unique algorithms to analyze medical big data, such as brain MRI, chest X-rays, and colonoscopy. For more information, please visit https://eirl.ai/en/

About LPIXEL
LPIXEL is a leader in advanced image analysis and processing technology encompassing the life science field. Founded in March 2014, LPIXEL is dedicated to offering research facilities, top-tier image analysis technologies and medical diagnosis technologies, both of which adopt advanced AI technology. LPIXEL revolves around business such as its medical image analysis software, “EIRL,” and its AI-based image analysis service, “IMACEL.”
For more information, please visit https://lpixel.net/en/

Contact Information
LPIXEL Inc.
TEL：03-6259-1713　Email：pr@lpixel.net