Bot Image

1 in 7 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer. Bot Image’s patented technology can help save their lives.

The company’s Artificial Intelligence software uses images collected with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to evaluate the prostate and identify signs of cancer.

This new technology is non-invasive, painless, and cost-effective. More importantly, Bot Image believes it’s more accurate than any current method of prostate cancer detection. By using this technology, physicians will be able to catch cancer earlier and provide more effective treatment options.

Bot Image has already begun demonstrating the accuracy of its technology to groups of patients, results of which will be recorded in peer-reviewed publications and presented to the urology and radiology communities. Now the company is preparing to bring its technology to market, and finalize FDA clearance by fall 2019.

Every 17 minutes, an American man loses his life to prostate cancer. But with early diagnosis, this cancer is one of the most manageable and treatable, with a 98% survival rate.

However, it remains the second leading cause of cancer deaths among men, largely because the current standard of medical care doesn’t support early diagnosis.

Not only does prostate cancer cost lives, but it also costs the U.S. billions of dollars. According to the American Urology Association, prostate cancer costs roughly $11.5 billion every year. Medicare alone spent $1.2 billion during a three-year period. And these costs don’t include lost wages, costs for caregiving, and funeral expenses.

Because the prostate is a difficult organ to access and evaluate, current methods like blood tests, rectal exams, and biopsies are invasive, painful, and inaccurate.

The MRI is the most accurate of these methods. But under current practice, patients don’t receive an MRI unless all other methods fail to detect signs of cancer. This means patients must go through three different invasive procedures before they can access MRI technology. Furthermore, the MRI accuracy rate for detecting prostate cancer falls between just 60% and 70%.

Bot Image’s solution incorporates MRI technology with its own platform and unique algorithms. The result is a software program called ProstatID.

ProstatID has been designed as part of a five-step annual process for men 50 years or older. The steps include:

1. A physician prescribes a prostate MRI.

2. The MRI acquires necessary images of the prostate in a 20-minute scan.

3. Images are uploaded to ProstatID’s cloud-hosted platform, which can be accessed using any Internet connection.

4. ProstatID’s algorithm segments the prostate and generates a probability map of cancer.

5. Radiologists review and interpret this map and send the results to the physician.

Bot Image believes its technology is 100% accurate, and won’t miss any signs of cancer. A negative result means the patient can have confidence that there is no cancer. Meanwhile, if results are positive, doctors will be able to see the size and location of the cancer within the prostate and prescribe the most effective treatment option.

Down the road, this company’s technology could be used to detect other forms of cancer, including breast cancer, lung cancer, and COPD.

Team Background

Melanie Jones - EVP of Sales & Marketing

Along with her husband, Randall, Melanie oversees Bot Image, focusing on the company’s sales and marketing efforts. She has more than 20 years of leadership experience across multiple industries.

She was Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Financial Marketing Inc., and was Director of Sales for Transcom USA, an employment agency.

She studied at the University of Nebraska.

Dr. Randall Jones - Founder & CEO

Randall has spent more than 20 years focused on MRI technology.

He founded ScanMed, a medical supply company that manufactures and sells MRI equipment. He worked at the company for 23 years before starting Bot Image.

Randall earned an Associate’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the Community College of the U.S. Air Force, an MBA, and a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University.

Co-Investors