Breast cancer is the leading cancer among Indian women, but more than 60% of diagnoses occur when the cancer is advanced, cutting short survival rates significantly.
The main culprit? Inadequate and unaffordable screening tools. Old standbys such as mammograms are costly, intrusive, and not always accessible outside metropolitan areas, with millions of women never getting routine checkups.
What if technology helped fill this gap? That is just what NIRAMAI Health Analytix is accomplishing.
NIRAMAI’s Tech Breakthrough
NIRAMAI (short for Non-Invasive Risk Assessment with Machine Intelligence)was founded in 2016 by Dr. Geetha Manjunath, with the vision of transforming breast cancer detection in India.
Driven to make screening accessible, affordable, and painless, NIRAMAI created a revolutionary solution by the name of Thermalytix. This machine learning-based technology looks for heat patterns in the body in order to identify abnormalities, without the use of radiation or physical touch.
How Thermalytix Works
Here’s how it works: a simple thermal scan captures heat variations in breast tissue. These patterns are then processed by advanced AI algorithms to identify early signs of cancer. The process is non-invasive, radiation-free, and completely private.
Unlike mammograms, which can be uncomfortable and require specialized equipment, NIRAMAI’s solution is portable and can be deployed anywhere. Be it hospitals to mobile screening camps. This makes it especially effective in small towns and villages where healthcare facilities are scarce.
Breaking Barriers in Healthcare
The benefits are immense. Women of all ages can undergo screening painlessly and discreetly, without the need for expensive procedures or trained radiologists. By detecting cancer at an early stage, often before symptoms appear, NIRAMAI’s technology has the potential to save countless lives.
The startup has already partnered with over 200 hospitals across India and expanded its reach to international markets like the UAE, Kenya, and Sweden.
Why This Matters
India sees over 200,000 new breast cancer cases every year, with nearly half detected too late for effective treatment. With NIRAMAI’s AI-driven approach, millions of women could access life-saving screenings regardless of their location or financial situation. This isn’t just about improving cancer detection; it’s about breaking barriers in healthcare and empowering women with accessible solutions.
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