New AI software can help in early detection of deadly tumours

Despite the advancement in medicine, detection of tumours continues to be challenging with a wide life threatening gap between diagnosis and curability.

As science and technology increasingly blur their boundaries, a San Francisco based company called Arterys has received a FDA clearance to market a first-of-its-kind, AI as-a-service software to help doctors detect, measure, and track tumours and lesions in CT scans of lungs and in MRI and CT scans of the liver, Fast Company reported.

The software builds upon another artificially intelligent platform called Cardio AI that automates image-analysis tasks which radiologists currently execute manually. By automating, the evaluation time is cut down from 30 minutes to a mere 15 seconds.

Arterys software for lungs and liver is expected to bring the same level of efficiency in analysing scans. The company is also looking at including breast scan compatibility to the software.

The clearance, received last February, is now allowing the software to be used in nearly 100 countries. It is currently used in 100 hospitals worldwide.

Does it mean no human intervention when it comes to diagnosis? CEO Fabien Beckers stresses that the purpose of the software is to provide human radiologists with more information to make a more accurate diagnosis in lesser time.