Multiple FDA-cleared AI technologies are integrated into a single clinical workflow for lung nodule detection, characterization and malignancy-risk prediction—without disrupting how radiologists work.
SCOTTSDALE, AZ – Aug 25– SimonMed, one of the largest outpatient medical imaging providers and radiology practices in the United States, announced a partnership with Optellum, an AI-powered lung cancer diagnostics company, to integrate advanced lung nodule risk-stratification AI directly into its existing AI-enabled clinical workflow. This integration is designed to give referring providers an objective, validated assessment of malignancy risk for eligible incidentally detected pulmonary nodules, supporting earlier and more appropriate patient care.
Under this new partnership, eligible lung nodules identified during standard chest CT scans will flow into Optellum’s Lung Cancer Prediction (LCP) AI for evaluation. Optellum’s software is the first AI-based decision-support tool cleared by the FDA for malignancy risk prediction of eligible incidentally detected pulmonary nodules. The software analyzes various nodule characteristics and generates a validated AI-derived Lung Cancer Prediction (LCP) score to assist in informing clinical decision-making.
“For the first time, eligible pulmonary nodules can move seamlessly from detection to malignancy risk assessment without requiring a separate workflow, additional clicks, or manual case selection,” said Dr. Sean Raj, Chief Medical Officer and Chief Innovation Officer at SimonMed. “We believe this represents the world's first enterprise-wide deployment of an integrated AI-powered pathway for lung nodule detection, characterization, and malignancy risk prediction. It's a major step toward ensuring every patient with a potentially dangerous lung nodule receives a consistent, objective assessment, while keeping the radiologist firmly at the center of clinical decision-making.”
Millions of lung nodules are found incidentally on CT scans each year, but timely and appropriate follow-up remains a challenge. Traditional risk models can leave clinicians uncertain, leading to delayed diagnoses of malignant nodules or unnecessary procedures for benign ones. By evaluating every eligible pulmonary nodule within the radiologist's existing workflow, SimonMed helps ensure consistent, AI-powered risk assessment across the enterprise while reducing variability and the chance that high-risk nodules are overlooked.
The integration of Optellum LCP AI builds on SimonMed’s existing AI-enhanced lung nodule program, powered by Infervision, which already provides automated volumetric sizing and interval-growth tracking. By adding Optellum’s risk prediction technology, SimonMed gives referring providers clearer guidance while continuing to advance a more targeted, imaging-based assessment of pulmonary nodules.
"We are thrilled to partner with SimonMed to bring our LCP AI to their extensive network of clinics," said Dr. Johnathan Watkins, CEO of Optellum. "SimonMed’s commitment to making cutting-edge diagnostic technology accessible aligns with our mission to ensure no lung nodule is left behind. By risk-stratifying patients at the point of diagnosis, we can help their subspecialty radiologists and referring clinicians prioritize the right patients for life-saving interventions. And with Optellum’s LCP AI uniquely named in Medicare payment policy and reimbursed by commercial payers, partnerships like this can scale sustainably, bringing earlier diagnosis to more patients."
While the workflow is designed for speed and ease of use, specialist oversight remains central. The Optellum LCP score serves as clinical decision support and is interpreted alongside imaging, prior exams, patient risk factors, and clinical guidelines. Every AI-generated risk score is reviewed and confirmed by a board-certified SimonMed radiologist before inclusion in the final report, ensuring referred providers receive trusted, actionable findings. Once fully deployed, this workflow will automatically evaluate pulmonary nodules across one of the nation's largest outpatient imaging networks, representing one of the largest enterprise implementations of AI-powered lung cancer risk assessment worldwide.
The Optellum integration is the latest milestone in SimonMed's broader strategy to advance medical imaging through clinically validated AI. Across multiple imaging specialties, SimonMed continues to invest in technologies that enhance diagnostic accuracy, improve efficiency, and provide referring providers with more meaningful insights, while ensuring every result remains under the review and oversight of board-certified radiologists.
