Microscopes housing Artificial Intelligence (AI) could help clinical microbiologists diagnose potentially deadly blood infections and improve the patient’s odds of survival, according to microbiologists at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) www.bidmc.org.
In a paper published in the “Journal of Clinical Microbiology”, http://jcm.asm.org the scientists demonstrated that an automated AI-enhanced microscope system is highly adept at identifying images of bacterial quickly and accurately.
The automated system could help alleviate the current lack of highly trained microbiologists expected to worsen as 20 percent of technologists reach retirement age in the next five years. While human technologists routinely provide highly accurate diagnoses, demand for these highly skilled workers exceed the available supply in the U.S
“This marks the first demonstration of machine learning in the diagnostic area,” said Senior Author James Kirby MD, Director of the Clinical Microbiology Laboratory at BIDMC and Associate Professor of Pathology at Harvard Medical School.
He adds, “With further development, we believe this technology could form the basis of a future diagnostic platform that augments the capabilities of clinical laboratories, ultimately speeding the delivery of patient care.”
According to Dr. Kirby, “In addition to clinical uses, the new tool could also have applications in microbiology training and research. The tool becomes a living data repository as we use it and could be used to train new staff since it provides an unprecedented level of detail as a research tool.”
In addition to Dr. Kirby study authors include Postdoctoral Fellow Kenneth P. Smith PhD, and Medical Microbiology Fellow Anthony D. Kang, PhD both members of the Department of Pathology at BIDMC.
The research was supported by the Harvard Clinical and Translational Science Center, National Center for Research Resources, and an award from NIH, plus financial contributions from Harvard University and affiliated academic healthcare centers.