Sectra to Showcase New AI Imaging Tools
Medical imaging company Sectra announced it will debut new AI-powered solutions at the HIMSS 2026 healthcare conference. The technology is designed to automate workflows for radiologists and reduce operational burdens in hospital imaging departments.
The new tools address a worsening radiologist shortage, with projections indicating a potential shortfall of up to 19,500 specialists in the U.S. by 2036. This scarcity is compounded by rising imaging volumes, expected to increase by 3-4% annually, creating significant backlogs and potential for radiologist burnout. The global AI in radiology market is consequently booming, with forecasts predicting it will grow from approximately $0.78 billion in 2025 to over $7 billion by 2035. Sectra's financial results show a strategic shift towards cloud-based and AI-driven services. For the nine-month period of 2025/2026, the company reported an 18.5% rise in recurring revenue, significantly boosted by a 57.5% surge in cloud recurring revenue. This transition to a service-based model is reflected in their fiscal year 2024/2025 results, where net sales increased by 9.3% to SEK 3,239.8 million, with cloud revenue growing by 48.9%. A key innovation to be showcased is the "Operations AI" prototype, which is powered by the Model Context Protocol (MCP). MCP is an open standard designed to let AI agents securely and transparently interact with clinical data systems, effectively creating a plug-and-play environment for AI tools. This allows the Operations AI to automate complex IT tasks like system configurations, user provisioning, and setting up workflow logic using plain language commands. This focus on workflow automation extends to the clinical side. Sectra recently finalized its acquisition of Oxipit, a company with the first CE Class IIb certification for an autonomous AI tool in chest X-ray analysis. This technology is designed to automatically clear high-confidence normal exams from worklists, allowing radiologists to focus on more complex cases. The new offerings are part of Sectra's broader enterprise imaging platform, which aims to unify various imaging departments like radiology, pathology, and cardiology into a single system. This integrated approach is designed to reduce the time radiologists waste navigating disconnected systems, a problem that can consume up to 20% of their workday. The HIMSS 2026 Global Health Conference & Exhibition, where Sectra will debut these tools, is a major event for the healthcare information and technology sectors. It brings together a wide range of professionals, from C-suite executives to entrepreneurs, to discuss the latest advancements in healthcare technology.
