AI Based Software to Develop Radiation Therapy Plans

It is a very time-consuming task for the doctors to develop radiation therapy plans for patients with tumors. In response to this issue, an engineering research graduate named Aaron Babier from the University of Toronto's Department of Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, including Justin Boutilier, supervisor Professor Timothy Chan and Professor Andrea McNiven of U of T's Faculty of Medicine has developed an automation software that could reduce the time to mere hours.

This software uses artificial intelligence (AI) to mine radiation therapy data. This information is then proceeded for optimization to develop relevant treatment plans.

This AI based therapy achieved better results compared to patients' conventionally planned treatments within 20 minutes. The research team recently published these findings in Medical Physics.

Aaron Babier said, "There have been other AI optimization engines that have been developed. The idea behind ours is that it more closely mimics the current clinical best practice; Right now treatment planners have this big time sink. If we can intelligently burn this time sink, they'll be able to focus on other aspects of treatment. The idea of having automation and streamlining jobs will help make health-care costs more efficient. I think it'll really help to ensure high-quality care."  

Babier believes that with further commercialization, the physicians might someday use this tool in clinics.

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Theresa May Urges Medical Fraternity to Adopt AI For Acute Cancer Diagnosis

Positive news that holds hope for the medical fraternity and patients is the urging by UK Prime Minister, Theresa May, for the adoption of artificial intelligence by the NHS and technology companies to diagnose critical diseases such as cancer.

However, several impediments remain firmly entrenched in place for the implementation of AI. A greater need for investment into AI and research into how it can augment the efficacies of the technology needs to be looked into. In order to leverage the massive potential of AI, there is a greater need to enhance collaboration across diverse disciplines and geographies.

It is pertinent to note here that though great promise is held by AI, its power can only be optimized for the greater good through building purpose-initiated technological platforms that are scientifically and technologically advanced. The building of such platforms will require specialized data crunching in a varied, accurate and multidisciplinary manner and several years of training along with algorithm-building.

The move to initiate AI as a tool for the clinical diagnosis of cancer has the potential to save a lot of lives per year. However, this entails the need for extra clinicians, chiefly endoscopists who are in short supply, to be trained effectively and debuted into the cancer treatment pathway.

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AI to Replace Doctors and Nurses for Tasks

University College London Hospital (UCLH) and the Alan Turing Institute are working together on  Artificial Intelligence to carry out works which are traditionally done by the doctors and nurses; from deciding which accidental and emergency patients to be consulted first to diagnosing cancer on CT scan. The three-year partnership is aiming to bring the AI revolutions to the National Health Services in a larger scale.

“The new project can impact on patient outcomes, drawing parallels with the transformation of the consumer experience by companies such as Amazon and Google. It’s going to be a game-changer. You can go on your phone and book an airline ticket, decide what movies you’re going to watch or order a pizza. It’s all about AI. On the NHS, we’re nowhere near sophisticated enough. We’re still sending letters out, which is extraordinary” says Prof Bryan Williams, director of research at University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

UCLH is investing a “significant” amount in the project, is the belief that AI can provide new ways of detecting illness, identifying people at higher risk of disease and directing resources. Like the clinicians can be positioned immediately onwards accordingly. The primary plan is to focus on improving the hospital’s accident and emergency department.

“Machines will never replace doctors, but the use of data, expertise, and technology can radically change how we manage our services – for the better,” said Prof Marcel Levi, UCLH chief executive.

Prof Chris Holmes, director for health at the Alan Turing Institute, said the hope is that doctors and nurses will be freed up to spend more time with patients. “We want to take out the more mundane stuff which is purely information driven and allow time for things the human expert is best at.“We’re critically aware of the patient sensitivity of data governance,” he said. “Any algorithms we develop will be purely in-house.”

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Israel Based Startup Raised $30 Million to Advance AI Devices For Radiologist

Israel based, startup Zebra Medical Vision, yesterday announced that it has received Series C funding of $30 million from healthcare tech fund aMoon Ventures and other investor members such as Johnson & Johnson Innovation and Aurum. To date, Zebra Medical has raised $50 million in total. The company is focusing on advancing the devices for radiologists through Deep Learning. With this new investment, Zebra is planning the new hires that can help pick up the pace of the development of its analytics engine and its GTM strategy

The startup also revealed its new research on Textray, which the company claims to be the “most comprehensive Artificial Intelligent research till now.” This is all working towards developing their new product which is currently capable of identifying 40 clinical findings as a result of training via 2 million images.

 “Zebra differentiate its approach at its computation from a holistic product view. Advancing an algorithm is different. But combining it into the workflow, modifying it to the wants of multiple healthcare environments and countries, updating and supporting it, takes tremendous attention and that’s what brings value, in addition to an algorithm.” stated  Elad Benjamin, Founder, and CEO- Zebra Medical Vision.

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HHS Selects 8 Accelerators for AI Innovation

The United States, Department of Human & Health Services has been aiming to enhance patient care andhealth security for a long period of time. Recently the HHS selected eight accelerators to steer artificial intelligence innovation. The chosen accelerators will develop AI devices to solve challenging problems in daily patient care and health security.

Deputy Secretary Eric Hargan stated that “Accelerators are part of a new business approach abs such kind of relation will assist startups and other businesses reshape the next generation of lifesaving techs and modify health security. That innovation is important to protecting Americans citizen and saving lives.”

Accelerators aim to innovative AI devices and products that can be advanced to solve trials in healthcare that can exceed traditional vaccine and medical development.

The HHS is currently looking for solutions for two challenges, the first is the lack of earlier detection of infections in patients which need to be solved and the second challenge is the acute demand for the detection of sepsis.

HHS has a new unit that is part of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), called DRIVe which is appointed to supervise the accelerator network. DRIVe is also perusing for the nonprofit partner that will associate with private investors to fund AI technologies and products that will encode the critical health security challenges.

The HHS foresees the development of AI tools will increase the solutions for some of healthcare’s biggest trials.

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FDA Approval for AI Enabled Diabetes Software

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted approval for a request made by DreaMed regarding their artificial intelligence-enabled diabetic software, which is exclusively meant for the providers, who are managing Type 1 diabetes patients.

Eran Atlas, the CEO of DreaMed said, “This is an innovation that can improve people’s lives and the FDA decision confirms what we believe is an important step in making a more meaningful connection between the healthcare provider and their type 1 diabetes patients; Type 1 diabetes, managed with greater attention, leads to improved patient quality of life and reduced payer health-related costs. Advisor Pro enables patients using CGM and an insulin pump to analyze data and recommend to their provider when a change in diabetes-care treatment is timely and needed.”

The cloud-based DreaMed Advisor Pro is a diabetes device meant for quick treatment decision support by analyzing data from continuous glucose monitors, insulin pumps, and self-monitoring. This software has integrated a number of components into its recommendations, such as basal rate, carbohydrate ratio and correction factor. Even the dosage recommendations are directed towards the monitoring clinician, who can forward the same to a patient’s diabetes management device with just a click.  

Eran Atlas further added, “The fact that it was cleared by the FDA on a special de novo application [represents] the first time that you have an algorithm that can recommend insulin changes or dosing based on CGM data; That was basically the main reason why the FDA wanted that to be a de novo application rather than a routine 510(k).” 

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Indian Healthcare Startup SigTuple Raised $19 Million AI Based Products Development

India, Bengaluru based SigTuple, a startup focusing on Artificial Intelligence for Healthcare has raised $19 million in their series B funding. The investment was led by IDG Ventures, pi Ventures Partners along with Accel, Axilor Ventures, VH Capital, Endiya Partners and Flipkart’s executive chairman Binny Bansal. The startup has also bagged venture debt from Trifecta Capital in this round. In an earlier investment round, the company raised $6.5 million from various investors.

“We are planning to invest the new fund in setting up a manufacturing facility to provide more devices in the market. We are looking for U.S., FDA and CE certification; once we get the approval we will require more clinical trials for different market deployments. We will be investing money in the same. We are also looking forward to new sales and support teams.” stated Kumar Pandey, Chief Executive at SigTuple

SigTuple is aimed at a low-cost system for testing urine, semen and blood samples with the assistance of AI to identify microscopic images. Using the company’s own application, the new system can now distinguish these samples to differentiate between normal and abnormal cells. The startup is using AI to advance hardware and software devices that would digitize pathology results. With the new funding, the company will invest in further development of research and advancements of their products. They plan to enhance their assembly, distribution and conduct more clinical trials.

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