Aster CMI Hospital, IISc launch artificial intelligence lab

Bengaluru: In keeping with its commitment to bring quality healthcare using the latest medical technology, Aster CMI Hospital, in association with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), launched an Artificial Intelligence (AI) lab on Friday. The Aster-AI lab is a collaborative lab, set up with the aim to build cutting edge AI products in the healthcare domain and bridge the gap between clinical medicine and technology by training healthcare professionals. Dr Azad Moopen, Founder-Chairman and Managing Director, Aster DM Healthcare, Dr Lokesh B, Consultant Neurology, and Dr Phaneendra K Yalavarthy, Professor of Medical Imaging, Department of Computational and Data Sciences, IISc were present on the occasion.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an interdisciplinary science creating a paradigm shift in virtually every sector of the industry. AI uses data with machine learning and deep learning algorithms to imitate the way that humans learn, gradually improving its accuracy. These data-driven AI applications have been continuing to change the way doctors solve clinical problems. The current possibilities and capabilities of AI in medicine can enable quicker diagnosis and lower healthcare costs.

Speaking on the need and how technology is transforming the healthcare system in India, Dr Azad Moopen said, "At Aster, we have always believed in staying closely connected with the pulse of our patients and our people to be able to adapt as per their needs and stay ahead of the curve. We have been at the forefront of adopting digitization, technology and innovation in our core operations which is now essential to support patients as per their needs. With the use of AI, doctors and medical providers will now be able to deliver more accurate diagnosis in the fastest possible time."

Prof Phaneendra K Yalavarthy has been instrumental in setting up the lab by providing the computational infrastructure and expertise. IISc, with its expertise in the development of AI methods, has become the natural collaborator with Aster CMI, which has the clinical expertise, to aide, translate, and validate the developed AI algorithms for clinical use.

Expressing his excitement to have associated with Aster CMI Hospital, he said: "AI-powered medical technologies have been rapidly evolving and have become powerful adjunct tools in clinical practise. The broad spectrum of digital medicine, especially to enable the 4P model of medicine (Predictive, Preventive, Personalized, and Participatory) involves natural collaboration between academic institutions and medical institutions."

Aster CMI will be working with Prof. Phaneendra and his team on development of 'Deep Learning Methods for Automated Tracking and Segmentation of Nerves in Ultrasound Images'. Dr Sriram Ganapathy, Associate Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, IISc has been collaborating on 'Automatic Acute Stroke Symptom Detection Using Mobile Health Technologies'.