How one of the Covid-19 symptoms become the key focus of our AI program to confirm infection within seconds?
The World today is in a healthcare and medical crisis due to the pandemic Covid-19 that has been haunting the people since the start of the year 2020. To overcome the situation, the medical industry has been looking for solutions with new technologies to monitor and control the spread of the virus. AI is among such technologies that can help tackle this situation in various scenarios such as Contact tracing, Cluster locating, risk assessment and many more. Among those applications is Rapid Testing to confirm infection within seconds which we a Taiwan-based Docsun Clinical AI Laboratory is working on. And, we have also got a certain degree of success and have entered into the next phase to trial on Humans in association with China Medical University.
What is AI-powered Rapid Testing?
The existing testing methods to confirm Covid-19 infection takes at least 6 hrs to 24 hours along with an incubation period of up to 14 days till then there will be no display of Symptoms. This is a drawback for the front line healthcare warriors who are risking their lives by being in close contact with infected people. The AI-powered Rapid testing technology is developed by employing Artificial Intelligence technology to determine the risk of infection by considering the abnormalities present in the Lungs of the infected patients. These abnormalities make breathing difficult in lungs. Our Rapid Testing observes these abnormalities to determine the extent of infection assisting the medical personnel in administering the right set of drugs.
How is Covid-19 testing done?
There have been several observations conducted in Covid-19 patient’s chest X-Ray where abnormalities are clearly seen depending upon various stages. Upon close inspection of Chest X-Rays, there are patchy abnormalities that appear to shrink as the infection spreads making respiration difficult. Our Rapid Testing Technology uses the same observations to test each individual’s Chest X-ray to determine the risk and stages of infection. The Algorithm to instantly compare and provide results have been developed as the skeleton of our testing solution.
What datasets do you use to compare and confirm the infection?
Like any AI-powered algorithm, there is a need for datasets to learn and confirm its intent. For Covid-19 Rapid Testing technology, the data set is the Chest X-Ray of individual patients. Feeding the algorithm with Chest C-Ray of a healthy, uninfected person to establish a healthy condition along with that of infected patients in various stages clearly borders the infected and uninfected people. Below is the comparison of lungs of a healthy individual and that of Covid-19 infected. Clearly there are abnormalities in the system that impacts the respiratory system. Depending upon the level of abnormalities, the risk and stage of infection is concluded.
Is your testing method already in use?
Most of the existing human generation is seeing such a pandemic probably for the first time. Even with the advanced technologies and Healthcare facilities, the tiny micro organism has brought the world to a stand still. Exploring various technologies, we have developed an AI-Powered Rapid Testing method that cannot be introduced into the healthcare environment without clearly understanding its behavior. That is why, we have partnered with China Medical University to initiate the Human trials of our testing strategy that can yield results within seconds.
How would you like to introduce this testing kit if it succeeds?
We have a high probability of success and similar technology is being used in various countries around the world namely India, Europe, etc, in small scale and most of them are still in trial phase just like ours. The medical industry had never been in this fast phase at any point of time. It takes a lot of risks and sleepless nights to achieve the miracle that can save the world. A lot of people have been striving hard for the same and to respect all those people, we intend to take this a non-profit social initiative that can help communities and humanity as a whole that can defeat the invisible.
Do you think Artificial Intelligence can provide solutions to all the diseases in the World?
Humanity has progressed no matter what comes in its way! Likewise, we will defeat Covid-19. And, it cannot be possible without harnessing the power of technology. It may not provide the solution for everything but will make life better. No matter what, mankind keeps thriving.
Technology is never dangerous to the World. It all depends on the way we adopt it. It can be used to erase a nation of the world map with a war or help every nation stand in solidarity to defeat a pandemic like Covid-19 and Artificial intelligence has shown that it is not far from achievable.
