AI-Driven Preventive Imaging: A Technical Deep Dive into Function/Ezra and Prenuvo (Part 2)

Brought to you by the future of radiology—and the folks who believe your insides deserve paparazzi-level attention.

Function Health/Ezra’s AI and Imaging Ecosystem

Core Imaging Technology

Function/Ezra is the DIY disruptor of preventive imaging. Instead of building shiny custom scanners in a secret volcano lab, they take off-the-shelf 3T MRI machines (the high-powered Ferraris of clinical scanners) and supercharge them with a little AI magic called Ezra Flash. This FDA-cleared software slashes scan times from 60 minutes to a brisk 22—basically the Netflix episode version of a full-body scan.

“But won’t faster scans be blurry?” you ask, like a concerned mom reviewing her kid’s blurry soccer photos. Good question. That’s where Ezra Flash earns its cape. The AI swoops in after the scan, denoises the images, and reconstructs them into something a radiologist can actually work with. It’s like Photoshop, but for your pancreas.

This sleight of hand means Function/Ezra doesn’t need to build its hardware empire. They rent the space, bring their AI brain, and still offer full-body insights for just $499. Affordable, scalable, and the Costco of cancer screening.

Hardware and Software Integration

Think of Function/Ezra’s tech stack as a buddy-cop duo:

• The 3T scanner is the grizzled veteran (rugged, reliable, but a bit noisy under pressure),

• Ezra Flash is the slick young analyst (AI-powered, fast-talking, and excellent at cleanup).

Together, they keep the images clean and the scan time lean.

The high-powered 3T magnets are great for brain scans but can get a little twitchy in the belly area—like trying to take selfies at a funhouse mirror. Ezra Flash smooths those image distortions like a social media filter designed by a radiologist.

Diagnostic Process

• Scan Acquisition: A 22-minute whole-body scan across 13 organs. It’s like a TSA pat-down, but cooler and with less shoe removal.

• AI-Assisted Analysis: Radiologists review the enhanced images, aided by AI sidekicks that flag anything funky—tumors, fatty liver, or whatever your body’s hiding.

• Reporting: Instead of a 40-page PDF that reads like a Greek tragedy, the Ezra Reporter AI translates findings into plain-English reports. “You have a benign cyst” suddenly becomes “Chill, it’s nothing serious.”

Clinical Efficacy

• Detection Rates: About 6% of scans find potential cancers. Ezra cites early detection of gliomas and kidney tumors in real-world cases—basically, they’re saving lives like it’s no big deal.

• Limitations: There’s no peer-reviewed data yet, and occasional missed diagnoses have been reported. So, while promising, it’s not quite Tony Stark-level tech just yet.

Prenuvo’s Multi-Parametric Approach

Core Imaging Technology

Prenuvo is the luxury car of whole-body MRI—sleek, full-featured, and packed with custom parts. They’ve teamed up with MRI manufacturers to create tailor-made 1.5T scanners outfitted with specialized RF coils and sampling techniques that capture over 1 billion data points. Yes, billion-with a “B.”

Their 45–60 minute scans feel like a spa day for your organs. Using multiple imaging sequences (T1, T2, DWIBS, and compressed sensing), Prenuvo maps your body like it’s trying to win an Oscar for Best Cinematography. These data-dense scans help identify sneaky things like aneurysms, early cancers, and even which side you favor when sleeping.

Prenuvo’s AI doesn’t just stop at imaging—it also includes biomarker analysis, such as HbA1c and vitamin D levels, in the report. It’s essentially a comprehensive physical examination with a side of blood work.

Customized Hardware and Imaging Protocols

While Function/Ezra rents the room and brings a laptop, Prenuvo built the whole building. Their modified 1.5T scanners are the Goldilocks of MRI: not too strong (avoiding artifact distortion), not too weak (still detailed), and comfy for patients thanks to lower heat absorption.

These scanners are optimized for multi-parametric imaging, meaning they use multiple types of scans layered together like a medical lasagna. This reduces false positives and increases clarity, particularly in challenging-to-image areas such as the abdomen.

Diagnostic Process

• Extended Acquisition: The scan takes 45–60 minutes but yields ~5,000 images across multiple systems. It’s like binge-watching your body in 4K.

• Radiologist Workflow: AI organizes images by organ and highlights relevant metrics, such as artery thickness.

• Integrated Reporting: Results are synthesized into a single dashboard reviewed by nurse practitioners, because what’s the point of finding problems if no one explains them to you?

Clinical Efficacy

• Validation Studies: Prenuvo’s Project Hercules, yes, that’s really what it’s called, is working on validating its process.

• Population Impact: Approximately 2.5–5% of scans detect life-threatening conditions, such as aneurysms, while 49% reveal abnormalities worth monitoring, like a neighborhood watch for your spleen.

Head-to-Head Comparison

Scan Time

• Function/Ezra: 22 minutes. Blink and you’re done (okay, not quite, but it’s fast).

• Prenuvo: 45–60 minutes. Bring a book.

Cost

• Function/Ezra: $499 Does not include Function Health annual labs.

• Prenuvo: $1,495–$3,999. Not quite Ferrari, but Tesla territory.

Sensitivity

• Function/Ezra: Claims 6% cancer detection, but no peer-reviewed results yet.

• Prenuvo: Around 5% for life-saving finds, with broader screening validation in the works.

Hardware

• Function/Ezra: Uses standard 3T MRI scanners and levels them up with AI.

• Prenuvo: Customized 1.5T scanners with special coils and scanning sequences—basically, MRI with a PhD.

Data Output

• Function/Ezra: Around 500 images per scan.

• Prenuvo: Over 5,000 images and a billion data points. It’s a data buffet.

Regulatory Status

• Function/Ezra: FDA-cleared for brain, abdomen, and pelvis.

• Prenuvo: FDA-cleared for body composition and DWIBS (Diffusion-Weighted Imaging with Background Suppression).

If this were a buddy-cop movie, Function/Ezra is the fast-talking, street-smart detective making scans accessible to the masses. Prenuvo is the lab-coat-wearing genius with all the gadgets and a PhD in detecting things early.

Both are shaking up healthcare. Function/Ezra wins on affordability and speed, making it easier for more people to get scanned without blowing their budget. Prenuvo, on the other hand, is leading the charge on accuracy and depth—but it’s not exactly an impulse buy.

What do they both need? Clinical validation, broader access, and maybe a cameo in “Grey’s Anatomy: AI Edition.”

Coming in Part 3:

• Regulatory Rumbles: Ezra’s 510(k) vs. Prenuvo’s FDA gauntlet.

• Market Mayhem: $499 disruptors vs. $3,999 premium scans—can they coexist without a dramatic plot twist?

• Ethical Quagmires: When your scan finds “something weird”—what then?

Wrap-Up
The Road Ahead