Artificial intelligence can be applied in medical imaging diagnostics to assist medical professionals

Artificial intelligence (AI) has gained a lot of interest in the field of medical imaging within the last few years. Due to the aging of the population, the number of medical images taken from patients as well as the complexity of imaging analysis and associated data therein are increasing. Medical professionals spend more time for diagnostics leading to reduced time with patients and research.

In the AIDMEI project, the Research Unit of Medical Imaging, Physics and Technology from University of Oulu, Oulu University Hospital (OUH) and University of Helsinki are developing a novel artificial intelligence-based workflow. This research opening has potential to revolutionize the radiological diagnostics process by training AI with a unique, existing annotated imaging data archived at the OUH. This project targets to two clinically relevant use cases where AI based methodologies are being developed MRI diagnostics of prolonged back pain and mammography diagnostics of breast cancer. AI is used to improve reconstructed image quality for presentation, and for extracting important quantitative features from medical images for automated diagnosis.

The aim is to provide open top-level science and create strategic openings to Finnish
health technology industries for generating new business growth. Software development is one of the major technological areas in the Finnish technology, and collaboration with companies has capacity to renew or create new innovation in Finnish technology industries. The exchange of information is most useful for the companies as they offer new innovations and enhance technology development for creation of new applications and devices.

As an outcome of this project, intelligent algorithms will assist in time constraints, increasing workload, and other limitations pertaining to human driven diagnostics. Artificial intelligence guided diagnostic workflow could lead to an accessible, more accurate, and affordable healthcare for everyone.

The team:
Prof. Miika T. Nieminen, Uni. Oulu
Prof. Samuli Siltanen, Uni. Helsinki
Prof., MD Jarmo Reponen, Uni. Oulu & OUH
Prof. Simo Saarakkala, Uni. Oulu
Prof., MD Osmo Tervonen, Uni. Oulu & OUH
Prof., MD Jaro Karppinen, Uni. Oulu & OUH
Dr. Satu Inkinen, Uni. Oulu
Dr. Tatiana Bubba, Uni. Helsinki
PhD students: Mikael Juntunen, Juuso Ketola, Aleksei Tiulpin and Egor Panfilov (Uni. Oulu), and Siiri Rautio (Uni. Helsinki)