Tag: Informatics

Algorithm Uses Individual Medical History to Predict Patient’s Chance of Survival in ICU

Researchers in Denmark have developed a new algorithm that predicts an individual patient’s risk of mortality in the ICU. Their work, recently published in the journal Digital Health, demonstrates that the algorithm outperforms current non-computational methods of estimating mortality. Algorithms of this nature can help direct resources where they are needed most to best improve […]

AI Platform for Cognitive Performance Training

Researchers from the National University of Singapore have utilized an AI platform, dubbed CURATE.AI, to help advance cognitive performance on challenging mental tasks. The system works by identifying an individual’s strengths and weaknesses, and curating mental exercises to help them progress most rapidly. The work could have significant implications for future AI-based trainings, counseling, and […]

StethoMe At-Home Stethoscope for Detection of Respiratory Issues in Kids Cleared in Europe

StethoMe, a company headquartered in Poznań, Poland, just won the European CE mark for its eponymous digital stethoscope and accompanying software that analyzes recorded sounds for signs of respiratory problems. StethoMe is intended to be used by parents to check on their kids when there are signs of sickness. Instead of immediately bringing the child […]

Cloud Computing for Clinical Trial Data: Interview with Jackie Kent, SVP and Head of Product, Medidata

Medidata offers data collection, analysis, and presentation services for clinical trials through its cloud computing AI platform. The aim of the system is to reduce the workload involved in data handling and analysis. This can be considerable in clinical trials, where enormous amounts of data are generated from diverse clinical sites, making the resulting datasets […]

RhythmAnalytics Detects Cardiac Arrhythmias Using AI, Now FDA Cleared

Biofourmis, a company with offices in Singapore and Boston, won FDA clearance for its RhythmAnalytics cloud-based software that uses artificial intelligence techniques to automate the interpretation of cardiac arrhythmias from ECG tracings. The system can detect more than fifteen different types of arrhytmias including using beat-by-beat morphology analysis to spot ventricular arrhythmias, ventricular ectopic beats, […]

FDA Clears Software to Spot Collapsed Lung in Chest X-rays

Zebra Medical Vision, an Israeli firm, landed FDA clearance for the HealthPNX automated chest X-ray analysis software that can independently spot signs of pneumothorax (PNX), colloquially known as collapsed lung. The software can help radiologists quickly and confidently identify the cause of a patient’s symptoms, allowing for emergency treatment to begin ASAP. Due to a […]

Artificial Intelligence to Speed up Alzheimer’s Disease Research

Researchers from UC Davis and UC San Francisco have developed a new artificial intelligence tool to scale up Alzheimer’s research. They have created a deep learning system to identify amyloid plaques in brain slices of patients, spotting specific subtypes of Alzheimer’s disease, in the process enabling precision medicine and faster research. The team used a […]

Machine Learning Helps Design Complex Immunotherapies

Researchers from Northwestern University have leveraged machine learning to aid in the design of nanomedicines for immunotherapy. They utilized a high-throughput method to synthesize 800 unique immunostimulatory nanoparticles called Spherical Nucleic Acids (SNAs). “Spherical nucleic acids represent an exciting new class of medicines that are already in five human clinical trials for treating diseases, including […]

Scientists Figure Out How to Merge Single-Cell Datasets for Medical Research

Our cells express a myriad of different genes. So-called “single-cell datasets”, which are profiles of gene expression of a single cell, are very useful in medical research because they explain, in minute detail, ongoing intracellular physiology. But, they can be quite massive and since different labs can use different techniques to create and publish these […]

Microbial Signature for Colorectal Cancer Identified Using Machine Learning

Researchers from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) in Heidelberg, Germany, the University of Trento in Italy, and other international collaborators leveraged a machine learning algorithm to identify a subset of gut bacteria associated with colorectal cancer, the third most common cancer worldwide. They performed a meta-analysis of eight studies of gut bacteria and colorectal […]

AI Outlines Working Neurons Faster Than Humans, Speeds Research of Brain

Artificial intelligence techniques are becoming important tools in medicine and biomedical research. Tasks that require a great deal of precision, patience, and previous knowledge can now be taught to computers. A field where AI may be particularly useful is neurology, as the time scales and number of cells involved can be overwhelming for many experiments. […]

Amazon Alexa Now Offers “HIPAA-Eligible” Environment for Healthcare Skills

Voice assistants, such as the Amazon Alexa, have become very common in American households. They’re used to inquire about the weather, set alarms, and to search for trivia, among other things. Lately, though, voice assistants have been expanding their capabilities by integrating new apps and skills from third party vendors to do specialized tasks. While […]

3m Littmann Stethoscope Now with ECG, PCG Superpowers

Modern technologies allow clinicians to assess the heart in all sorts of ways (electrocardiography (ECG), ultrasound, phonocardiography (PCG)), and just about anywhere. Yet, this reality is nowhere near ubiquitous because of high costs, interoperability issues, legacy tools, and frequent dependence on performing exams in a clinical setting by trained professionals. A team of clinicians and […]

Deep Learning System to Track Patient Recovery

Researchers from Stanford University have developed a new tool to track patient recovery in a hospital setting. They have created a deep learning-based system to see if patients are able to perform mobility tasks, such as getting in and out of bed or sitting in a chair. In an ICU setting, improved mobility is associated […]