Compare ยท Blackford AI (Blackford Analysis, formerly Bayer Calantic)
Blackford AI Alternatives and Calantic Replacements Among Radiology AI Orchestration Platforms
The short answer
Azra AI completed its acquisition of Blackford Analysis from Bayer via Sopris Capital on October 20, 2026. For Calantic customers, the position changed from Bayer's announced exit to Blackford operating under Azra, with a public commitment to serve existing customers and OEM partners but no published renewal or data-sharing terms. Blackford AI alternatives include CARPL, deepc deepcOS, Ferrum Health and Aidoc aiOS, while staying on Blackford under Azra remains an option. A practice using a small triage or detection app stack can also consider replacing part of it with one assistant reading directly from PACS.
Bayer built Calantic Digital Solutions on Blackford technology, launched it in June 2022 and acquired Blackford in January 2023. In September 2025, Bayer announced that it would exit radiology AI platforms and discontinue Calantic and Blackford services, while fulfilling existing contracts. It gave no discontinuation date. Azra AI subsequently completed its Blackford acquisition on October 20, 2026, and Blackford remains a separate legal entity.
At closing, Blackford cited 130+ applications from 45+ partner vendors. Its catalog breadth, GE True PACS and Centricity PACS integration, and existing Veterans Health Administration contracts are reasons to consider staying. The practical decision is whether to retain that orchestration layer, switch platforms or replace a small app stack with reading support. Published commitments do not settle renewal pricing, the BAA or whether patient information will reach Azra.
Worklist
Structured report
DraftRun the assistant to draft this report for review.
Decision support. The radiologist reviews and signs every study.
Decision support for qualified clinicians. Radiological.ai does not provide a diagnosis and is not a substitute for professional judgment.
Flag · prioritize · draft · you review and sign
Keep an orchestration platform for 10+ apps from multiple vendors. For one to three triage or detection apps plus report drafting, an assistant reading from PACS can replace part of the stack. Radiological.ai does not host third-party algorithms.
Side by side
Blackford compared with radiology AI orchestration alternatives
Separate platform ownership, app access and regulatory records from the work that reaches the report.
| What to compare | Blackford under Azra AI | Alternative platforms and reading support |
|---|---|---|
| Ownership and continuity | Azra AI completed the purchase from Bayer via Sopris Capital on October 20, 2026. Blackford remains a separate legal entity. Continued service to existing OEM partners and health systems is the public commitment. | Compare CARPL, deepc deepcOS, Ferrum Health and Aidoc aiOS with staying on Blackford. Confirm the contracting party and assignment terms in each proposal. |
| App catalog and breadth | 130+ applications from 45+ partners at closing. September 2025 coverage cited 150+ apps from 60+ developers. Both figures appear on Blackford materials, so the exact reduction is uncertain. Breadth remains a reason to retain it. | CARPL states 300+ applications from 100+ vendors. deepc states 50+ certified solutions from 30+ vendors. Ferrum states 50+ algorithms. Confirm the actual US app list. Radiological.ai hosts no third-party algorithms. |
| FDA record | One openFDA record, K142337, Blackford Analysis Registration Product, March 19, 2015, LLZ. This is image registration, not an AI orchestration clearance. | CARPL has K232891, March 27, 2024, LLZ. No records were found under deepc or Ferrum in the stated searches. Aidoc has 35 clearances across its products. Check each proposed app and indication separately. |
| Deployment and data path | GE HealthCare integrated Blackford into True PACS and Centricity PACS in October 2024. This OEM integration is a reason to retain Blackford. Whether images, DICOM metadata or outputs reach Azra remains an open question. | Ferrum states that patient data stays within the health system firewall. Confirm other platform deployment and subprocessor details. Radiological.ai reads PACS over DICOM and returns results over HL7 or FHIR. |
| Follow-up tracking roadmap | Azra plans to route patients flagged by Blackford algorithms into its follow-up tracking and offer oncology tracking to Blackford customers. Treat this as a stated plan, not a delivered entitlement. | Ask each platform which follow-up functions are contracted and which are planned. Radiological.ai drafts the follow-up recommendation into the impression, where trackers read it, and the radiologist signs. |
| Federal purchasing record | Five NIH prime awards total $265,000. Existing Veterans Health Administration contracts are another continuity advantage, separate from the NIH award amounts. | The verified searches found no prime awards for CARPL, Ferrum or Azra, and no attributable deepc award. These results do not establish absence of customers, reseller sales or clinical use. |
| Public price | No published list price. NIH awards are purchases by one research institution, not an enterprise hospital price. The sale terms and renewal pricing were not disclosed. | CARPL, deepc, Ferrum and Aidoc aiOS publish no list price. Radiological.ai Practice is $199 per reading radiologist per month billed annually or $399 month to month. |
| What reaches the report | Specify the output from each licensed app and demonstrate how it reaches the report. Catalog access alone does not establish report drafting or the inclusion of Azra tracking. | Radiological.ai flags suspected findings, reorders the worklist and drafts the structured report in the practice's template. The radiologist reviews and signs every report. Platform quotes need their own output acceptance criteria. |
Sources are the verified ownership coverage, vendor statements, openFDA 510(k) records and USAspending.gov prime awards collected October 25, 2026. Catalog sizes are vendor-stated. An applicant search is not a clearance review of every hosted app.
Platform shortlist and public purchasing evidence
FDA records and NIH Blackford awards to check
The platform shortlist comes first. The NIH rows identify individual purchases, not comparable annual hospital subscriptions.
| Platform or NIH award | FDA record or award amount | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Blackford | K142337, March 19, 2015, LLZ | Image registration, not orchestration clearance. Confirm continued access to the required apps, OEM support, the BAA and any proposed Azra data path. |
| CARPL | K232891, March 27, 2024, LLZ | Vendor states 300+ apps from 100+ vendors. Match the device record and each hosted app to the intended US use. Obtain an itemized quote. |
| deepc deepcOS | No openFDA record under applicant or device name deepc | Vendor states 50+ certified solutions from 30+ vendors and says only selected devices are FDA-cleared for US use. It accepts apps with CE mark and/or FDA clearance. Verify the selected US products. |
| Ferrum Health | No openFDA record in the stated search | Vendor states 50+ algorithms, private deployment, and local validation and monitoring. Check app-specific clearance, firewall boundaries and the quoted support scope. |
| Aidoc aiOS | 35 openFDA clearances across Aidoc products | aiOS runs Aidoc's algorithms. An aiOS catalog total is not established here. Verify the named devices and required apps rather than treating the portfolio count as platform-wide clearance. |
| Radiological.ai | Decision support. We make no regulatory-status claim on this site | A PACS reading assistant, not an orchestration platform. Reads X-ray and CT on Practice and adds MRI on Group, flags suspected findings and drafts reports for radiologist review and signature. |
| NIH award 75N90020P00396 | $50,000, April 28, 2020 | Use and access to the Blackford Platform for one year. A research institution purchase, not an enterprise hospital price. |
| NIH award 75N90021P00585 | $50,000, July 20, 2021 | Use and access to the Blackford Platform including engineering resources. Keep this scope attached to the amount. |
| NIH award 75N90023P00105 | $50,000, November 1, 2022 | Blackford Platform. The description does not establish the current hospital licensing basis or included app fees. |
| NIH award 75N90024P00347 | $50,000, April 17, 2024 | The supplied record provides the date and amount without a more specific scope description. Request the award terms before comparing it with a quote. |
| NIH award 75N90025P00139 | $65,000, January 1, 2025 | Blackford platform maintenance and support. This is not evidence of a new hospital deployment price. |
openFDA and USAspending.gov records were collected October 25, 2026. The five Blackford NIH awards total $265,000 for one research institution. No record under a searched name is not proof that every associated product lacks clearance.
Side by side
Radiological.ai vs Blackford AI (Blackford Analysis, formerly Bayer Calantic), honestly
A fair look at what each does well. Both are capable tools. Here is where they differ.
| What matters | Radiological.ai | Blackford AI (Blackford Analysis, formerly Bayer Calantic) |
|---|---|---|
| Product role | One assistant reads X-ray, CT and MRI straight from PACS. It does not host third-party algorithms. | An orchestration platform with 130+ apps from 45+ partners cited at the Azra closing. |
| Existing infrastructure | Reads from the existing PACS over DICOM and returns results over HL7 or FHIR. | Integrated with GE True PACS and Centricity PACS, with existing OEM and health system relationships. |
| Report support | Flags suspected findings, reorders the worklist and drafts the structured report in the practice's template. The radiologist reviews and signs. | Check the outputs of each licensed application and how those outputs reach the report. |
| Follow-up tracking | Drafts the follow-up recommendation into the impression, where an existing tracker can pick it up. It is not a patient tracking service. | Azra has announced plans to connect flagged patients with follow-up tracking. Confirm delivery, data sharing and commercial terms. |
| Published pricing | Practice is $199 per reading radiologist per month billed annually or $399 month to month. Group adds MRI at $299 billed annually or $598 month to month. | No public list price. The five NIH awards total $265,000 but do not establish current enterprise hospital pricing. |
| When to retain orchestration | Can replace part of a one to three app triage or detection stack when report drafting is also wanted. Evaluate the required outputs first. | A health system running 10+ apps from many vendors still needs orchestration. Retaining Blackford can preserve its catalog access and OEM integration. |
Comparison reflects general, publicly understood positioning. Capabilities change, so check each product for the latest.
Compare radiology AI platform and marketplace options against the apps your health system actually needs. Our radiology AI platform pricing guide separates the NIH purchasing evidence from subscription, app and renewal questions. It also explains why public research awards do not establish a hospital price.
If Aidoc is on the shortlist, use the Aidoc alternatives comparison to frame that discussion. For a specific lung application, see ClearRead CT alternatives. deepc added Riverain ClearRead CT and ClearRead XR to deepcOS in November 2025, but each proposed app still needs its own US indication and contract review.
Azra's stated follow-up plan makes the handoff after a finding part of the renewal discussion. Review radiology follow-up recommendation tracking software when defining that requirement. For a smaller app stack needing report drafting, compare the published assistant plans on Radiological.ai pricing. An assistant can sit alongside orchestration when the broader app catalog remains necessary.
Why groups pick Radiological.ai
One assistant across the whole read
Pull the platform and OEM contracts
Collect the direct Blackford subscription, any OEM bundle through an equipment partner such as GE HealthCare, and the per-app agreements. Check direct agreements with every AI vendor whose app runs in production. Identify which agreement governs each service before comparing a renewal with a replacement.
Check control changes and exit rights
Review change-of-control, assignment and termination-for-convenience clauses across the collected agreements. Ask how the Azra acquisition affects your contracting party, renewal notice and continuing app access. The public continuity commitment does not supply your contract terms or establish a renewal price.
Trace patient data through the BAA
Pull the BAA, subcontractor chain and subprocessor list. Determine whether PHI, imaging data, DICOM metadata or algorithm outputs reach Azra and under which agreement. Treat a planned follow-up integration as a question for the written data terms, rather than assuming the existing BAA covers it.
Agree on data return at termination
Check data return or destruction obligations before ending a platform, OEM or app agreement. Confirm responsibility for the data held under each contract and the direct AI vendor agreements needed for continued production use. Put any required transition arrangements in writing before choosing a replacement.
Good questions
Blackford AI (Blackford Analysis, formerly Bayer Calantic) vs Radiological.ai, answered
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See how Radiological.ai reads alongside your group
One assistant that flags suspected findings, prioritizes the worklist, and drafts the structured report on X-ray, CT and MRI. You review and sign every study.
Decision support for qualified clinicians. Radiological.ai does not provide a diagnosis and is not a substitute for professional medical judgment.