Canadian medical technology company Perimeter Medical Imaging AI, Inc. has been selected to receive funding from the INOVAIT Pilot Fund to enhance the artificial intelligence capabilities of its flagship Claire™ imaging platform, a system designed to assist surgeons during breast cancer procedures.
The project was one of only ten selected in the latest funding round and will receive up to $148,000 in support from the government-backed INOVAIT initiative, alongside a $100,000 Mitacs Business Strategy Internship award to support academic collaboration and research.
Claire™ recently became the first AI-enabled imaging device approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use during breast cancer surgery. The platform combines optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging with proprietary artificial intelligence to help surgeons identify microscopic cancer cells in real time while operating, particularly around surgical margins where cancer is most likely to remain undetected.
The new project aims to strengthen the platform’s AI infrastructure by improving data labeling processes, enhancing performance across different tissue types and disease presentations, developing a two-tier analysis system for faster and more detailed assessments, and optimizing software performance for operating-room hardware environments.
Perimeter says the goal is to provide surgeons with increasingly precise information during surgery, potentially reducing the need for follow-up procedures. Currently, approximately one in four patients undergoing breast-conserving surgery requires additional surgery due to cancerous tissue remaining after the initial operation.
The research will be conducted in partnership with the University of Toronto, with Professor Ervin Sejdić leading academic collaboration efforts.
The funding reflects growing interest in applying artificial intelligence to improve surgical decision-making and patient outcomes, particularly in oncology. By advancing real-time cancer detection capabilities, Perimeter aims to further enhance the role of AI-assisted imaging in breast cancer treatment and surgical care.
