Diagnostic imaging, one of the areas of medicine in which the use of artificial intelligence and “big data” is most advanced

Madrid, March 30 (European Press) –

Diagnostic imaging is one area of ​​medicine in which the use of artificial intelligence and big data is advancing, according to Spanish experts in the context of the conference. Medicine, organized by the Bamberg Foundation, sponsored by Philips Ibérica.

“All this development is made possible by advances in clinical data storage and processing capacity. We have been able to develop algorithms that allow computer systems to interpret data and learn from it, so-called machine learning,” said Bamberg Foundation President Ignacio Parra.

Likewise, Professor of Bioinformatics and Director of the Biomedical Informatics Group at Polytechnic University of Madrid, Victor Maogo, commented that AI promises to revolutionize everything related to image processing within radiology and pathology.

In this sense, Alberto Muñoz, professor of radiology at Complutense University, stated that images are “data” and each time they are “closer” than converting the image “to a function or medical formula” thanks to artificial intelligence. And tools such as “machine learning” and “deep learning”.

“At Philips, we see tremendous potential in using AI to obtain and classify clinical data, as it helps in diagnostic imaging and also improves medical treatment,” added Santos Lopez-Bravo, Director of Health Informatics at Philips Ibérica. This Philips commitment is embodied in a wide range of technology solutions that incorporate artificial intelligence to make care provided by medical professionals more efficient.

Artificial intelligence in heart disease

On the other hand, Santos Lopez presented at the Bamberg Foundation conference the project that Philips implemented in cooperation with the University of Salamanca Hospital to apply artificial intelligence to the diagnosis of patients suffering from coarctation of the aorta, a heart disease that affects 5% of the population. Over 65 years old. It is a disease that is also associated with a high mortality rate when it progresses from mild or moderate to severe.

Currently, an echocardiogram is recommended every year in patients with mild or moderate aortic stenosis to monitor their development. The goal of this project is that mild or moderate aortic stenosis will progress to severe aortic stenosis by applying AI to diagnostic imaging tests. (Echocardiogram) and patient data.

Flooding the echocardiogram and other structured data into the Philips ‘IntelliSpace Cardiovascular’ app allowed to accurately predict the moment each patient develops severe stenosis and requires aortic valve replacement, reducing by 93% the need for an annual echocardiogram.

The Chairman of the Advisory Board for “Artificial Intelligence” affirmed that “Artificial intelligence will not replace medical professionals, but it is a tremendous assistance that provides great speed in managing the information that the doctor has to deal with and that radically affects their clinical performance.” Bamberg Foundation, Mario Mingo.

The challenge, according to experts, is to manage change and inform healthcare professionals that AI is a tool designed to make their work more efficient. “We have to dedicate an important department to train medical teams so that they know these technologies, know how to use them well and understand that they are an aid, not a substitute,” said Deputy Director General of Systems and Information Technology of the Ministry of Health in Galicia, Benigno Rosson.