Medical Imaging and Artificial Intelligence
Definition:
Artificial Intelligence: Artificial Intelligence is that branch of Computer Science that emphasizes on making machine act like human and make it smart. Areas like Data Science, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Computer Vision, Natural Language processing are subset of Artificial Intelligence.
Medical Imaging:Medical Imaging refers to the different types of technologies that are used to view human body for the purpose of Diagnose,medical conditions or to monitor certain part. Different types of Medical Imaging are CT scan, X-Rays, MRI etc.
Medical Imaging has been pivotal in diagnosis and monitoring different types of critical diseases in Hospitals. Medical imaging is the generation of images of various body parts and tissues. For example, if a person is diagnosed with problems is lungs, X-rays are used to monitor lungs which will give the part of lungs that might be affected. If the image is not clear enough to come to any conclusion, CT scans are used to have a better view of the part of lungs. Every year, Hospitals generates huge image data. These images can be used to implement deep convolution neural networks which can help in finding different patterns in the images. Artificial Intelligence will help in analysis of these images and it will further help in diagnosis and provide tools for Doctors to make life saving decisions.
How AI-Based Medical Imaging help in Making life saving Decisions?
AI based Medical Imaging depends upon images Produced by different hospitals. These images are used to train different algorithms to find different patterns, which are further analyzed to find different anatomical anomalies. These analysis and pattern recognition will assist the radiologists or doctors to make quicker diagnose and treat the diseases on time. The prediction capacity of AI driven technology can help to detect malignant tissues or cancerous cells before it becomes fatal.
Fields that are using AI based Medical Imaging Technology:
Breast Imaging:
Artificial Intelligence assists radiologists in diagnosis of abnormalities in breast and detect cancerous cells or tissues. Computer aided diagnosis(CADx) software like QuantX (Quantitative Insights) uses Deep Learning based tools to asses and characterize breast abnormalities using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Imaging Techniques like Digital Breast Tomosysthesis(DBT) or 3D Mammography in projects like ProFound AI (iCAD inc.) has been assisting Radiologists in making life saving diagnosis.
Cardiovascular Imaging:
AI helps in detecting and identifying possible strokes in patient. AI based technologies like ContaCT (Viz.ai) analyses computed tomography (CT) images for potential stroke. It uses deep learning to identify large vessel occlusions (LVOs) in scans. Through Machine Learning ans trained models Artery’s Cardiac MRI helps to automate complex cardiac analysis.
Lungs Imaging:
Another field benefited by AI is Lungs Imaging. AI based systems uses medical images like CT scans and assesses lungs efficiently to detect potential Lungs cancer. Chinese AI based Start Up, Infervision developed a technology called Augmented CT screening Solution(AI — CT), that can successfully detect suspicious lungs cancer lesions in CT scans.
Other fields:
AI has assisted successfully in other fields like Brain Imaging or NeuroiImaging to detect potential Brain injury or Tumors. OsteoDetect is software that analyzes wrist radiographs (X-rays) using machine learning techniques to identify and highlight distal radius fractures. Idx-DR, computer aided diagnosis (CADx )software program analyzes images of the eye for signs of diabetic retinopathy which is the most common cause of vision loss in Americans with diabetes.
Future of AI in Medical Imaging
AI based Medical Imaging and Technology is only going to develop and help future radiologists and doctors to help make critical medical decision. It’s efficiency and reliability guarantees to save thousands of lives. More research and works are required in advancement of AI in Health Sector which can be a boo to the mankind.
