Artificial intelligence could help ease strain on hospitals

Tuberculosis and pneumonia are potentially serious infections which mainly affect the lungs-often require a combination of different diagnostic tests,- such as CT scans, blood tests, X-rays, and ultrasounds. These tests can be expensive, with often lengthy waiting times for results.

Pioneering artificial intelligence (AI) which automatically diagnoses lung diseases-such as tuberculosis and pneumonia could ease winter pressures on hospitals, University of the West of Scotland researchers believe.

Developed by University of the West of Scotland, the revolutionary technology-originally created to quickly detect Covid-19 from X-ray images - has been proven to automatically identify a range of different lung diseases in a matter of minutes, with around 98 per cent accuracy. Systems such as this could prove to be crucial for busy medical teams worldwide says researchers.

X-ray imaging is a relatively cheap and accessible diagnostic tool that already assists in the diagnosis of various conditions, including pneumonia, tuberculosis and Covid-19. Recent advances in artificial intelligence have made automated diagnosis using chest X-ray scans a very real prospect in medical settings."

The state-of-the-art technique utilises X-ray technology, comparing scans to a database of thousands of images from patients with pneumonia, tuberculosis and covid. It then uses a process known as deep convolutional neural network - an algorithm typically used to analyse visual imagery - to make a diagnosis. During an extensive testing phase, the technique proved to be 98 pre cent accurate.

Hospitals around the world are under sustained stress. This can be seen throughout the UK, as fantastic National Health Services continues to undergo immense pressure, with hard-pressed medical staff bearing the brunt. Researchers are excited about the potential of this innovative technology, which could help streamline diagnostic processes and reduce strain on staff ended the researchers.

Reference:

Artificial intelligence could help ease strain on hospitals; UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST OF SCOTLAND, JOURNAL: Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine DOI: 10.1016/j.cmpb.2022.107141