New Lantern, an AI startup hoping to reimagine (😌) radiology workflows, emerged from stealth today, announcing a $19 million Series A led by Benchmark. The startup aims to transform how radiologists work, launching what it calls the first AI radiology resident designed to help radiologists focus on what they do best: reading scans.
Why it matters: Radiology is facing a significant labor shortage, while professionals in the field often spend their days tangled in repetitive, administrative tasks. New Lantern's AI resident steps in to eliminate those mundane chores—speeding up workflows and, according to early claims, allowing radiologists to process twice as many cases in the same amount of time.
The big picture: Instead of trying to replace radiologists with AI – a long-promised but unrealized goal – New Lantern aims to eliminate the tedious parts of their job, letting doctors focus on what they do best: reading scans and making diagnoses.
Details: The startup combines two essential tools radiologists use daily – medical image viewing and reporting software – into a single cloud-based platform enhanced by AI.
The backstory: The idea for New Lantern came from its founder, Shiva Suri, who saw firsthand the inefficiencies plaguing radiologists’ daily routines when he shared a workspace with his mother, a seasoned radiologist, during the pandemic. Suri noticed she spent as much as 95% of her time on menial workflow tasks—tasks that AI could take over. This observation led him to develop New Lantern.
What they're saying: "We want to be the biggest evolution of the market since PACS was invented," says Suri, referring to the 25-year-old shift from physical film to digital image storage.
Benchmark general partner Eric Vishria, who led the investment, sees unique potential in New Lantern's approach: "Instead of using AI to analyze images, AI can help with the drudgery and let the doctor do what doctors enjoy doing and are really good at."
How it works: New Lantern integrates two of the main tools in radiologists' daily workflow—PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) and reporting software—into a single cloud-based platform. Their Lantern PACS offers features like:
- AI Reporter: Automates dictation tasks, saving over an hour per shift.
- AI Measurements: Provides single-click volumetric measurements for faster diagnoses.
- Smart Worklist: Uses AI to distribute cases based on specialty and workload in real-time.
Suri explained that combining these tools into one seamless system not only simplifies workflow but also ensures the entire process is more efficient and modern.
Zoom out: The company enters a market dominated by established players like GE Healthcare and Philips for image management, and Microsoft's Nuance for reporting. But New Lantern's cloud-native, AI-enhanced platform could offer significant advantages over these legacy systems.