Harnessing artificial intelligence for diagnosis

Scientists have used artificial intelligence to develop a tool for interpreting biomedical images that could help doctors diagnose diseases

A tool that uses the power of neural networks to aid the interpretation of biomedical images could help doctors diagnose and treat diseases, according to a study in Cell.

The use of artificial intelligence for analyzing medical images, such as X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, to support diagnostic decision making has faced accuracy and interpretation challenges.

Now, an international team of scientists, including researchers from Sichuan University in China, has used neural networks to assist clinicians in diagnosing diabetic retinopathy, a condition in which an excess of blood sugar damages blood vessels in the back of the eye.

A neural network analyses images of a patient’s eye obtained using a special retina camera to determine the presence of macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. This is the first artificial intelligence diagnostic device to be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.

This article was first published by Springer Nature. Read the original article here.