Artificial Intelligence in medical treatment

It is sometimes very difficult for a doctor or a radiologist to get an accurate picture of a complex disease. In the developed world, ‘self-learning software’ using artificial intelligence is making a huge difference in the field of medicine. The use of high-tech technology in medicine to identify specific symptoms, especially in complex diseases, is on the rise, and researchers say it is yielding good results.

The magnetic resonance imaging method is used to bring a detailed picture of the internal organs–including the brain– of the body. Doctors get an idea of ​​the actual condition by analysing that picture. Nowadays, radiologists have very little time to analyse those images. Approximately 10 minutes for each patient. But he or she has to see 200 to 400 pictures daily on an average. They often look at the pictures relying mainly on mere experience. A high-tech software, on the other hand, analyses every pixel of each image and captures the state of the specific structure of the brain.

‘Machine learning’ technology works behind the scenes of self-learning software. One algorithm matches a huge amount of information. Based on that artificial intelligence, a computer can detect multiple sclerosis or dementia in the brain. The more detailed information is available, the more perfect the results. An IT company in Germany has developed an AI program that many claim is almost as efficient as a doctor. Every part of this process is becoming more and more automated. More and more software are used in analyzing data to find answers to specific questions. In the end, the radiologist only examines certain information in the images. The rest of the work is done by software.

Software is also being used in the fight against Covid-19, which is learning based on the collected information. This technology is being used during large-scale corona testing. This time an app is coming, which will quickly tell if anyone has an infection if asked. While such a fast audio test may not be a substitute for the original test, it can be up to 90 per cent accurate. Work is underway to use the software that contains as many human voices as possible. The amount of pressure on the lungs during coughing and laughing can be measured. We can do that through signal processing algorithms artificial intelligence can be practiced through the collected information. The software will be able to detect the corona test by listening to the voices of those who have been diagnosed or not infected or are showing signs of the corona.

There is a high risk of artificial respiration in a lung patient, as this can lead to severe lung damage. The death rate due to such efforts is quite high so it has created an artificial intelligence that can increase the patient’s chances of survival. Special software can be used to create digital models of the lungs and simulate air penetration rates. In this way, the level of the ventilator can be determined by determining the tolerable pressure concerned people say that so far, the doctor cannot peek inside the lungs. The doctor can see how much pressure the ventilator is putting on the windpipe with the technology, doctor will be able to peek into the patient lungs for the first time to see exactly where the air enters and creates pressure. Not only that, with the help of digital tools, doctors will be able to perform various tests on the patient lungs in a virtual manner before the treatment without any harm to the patient.

Ensuring medical services for all has become difficult not only in Bangladesh but all over the world. Outbreaks appear to be exacerbating the effects of the global prevalence on the entire healthcare system.

The patient and eye specialist ratio in Bangladesh is 4: 1 million, much less than the demand. Ophthalmologists say the artificial intelligence software is also good news for physicians. Because through this they will be able to know in advance about various eye problems in addition to patient information, retina image data.

Other diseases can also be predicted by using an artificial intelligence software. The patient can know in advance the risk of stroke or heart attack. The doctor can prolong the patient’s life by giving advice accordingly. Experts consider such use of artificial intelligence to be unique. In the context of Bangladesh, where the doctor-patient ratio is inconsistent, this software is expected to play a groundbreaking role.

The writer is a Research Fellow at Bangladesh NGOs Network for Radio & Communication (BNNRC)