In collaboration with the Department of Defense, Google has developed an “augmented reality microscope” (ARM) that uses advances in artificial intelligence to overlay visual markers such as heat maps or object boundaries in real time. AI improvements reportedly make it easier to classify samples and detect the presence of cancer cells or pathogens.
The ARM was first publicly mocked in 2018 and has yet to be used to diagnose patients. The ARM currently has 13 prototypes and more testing is required before it can help ordinary doctors. The goal is to develop a system that can “adapt to existing optical microscopes found in hospitals and clinics,” according to Google. ARM-equipped microscopes can provide text, arrows, outlines, heat maps, or animations, each tailored to specific evaluation objectives.
According to CNBC, the Department of Defense’s Defense Innovation Unit has apparently negotiated agreements with Google to allow ARM to be distributed throughout the military, with the goal of making it available to some government users this fall. The cost of ARM is projected to be between $90,000 and $100,000, which will likely be substantially beyond the reach of local healthcare professionals. We’ve reached out to Google for more details on the program’s progress and potential launch schedule, and will keep you updated if we hear back.
This is not the first time that Google Health has forayed into AI-powered technologies that not only improve diagnostic accuracy but also help address gaps in medicine where there is a shortage of healthcare personnel. According to Reuters, the tech titan has set out to partner with companies investing in AI to “improve healthcare” and is expected to have invested more than $200 billion in AI over the past decade. This is especially notable given that the World Health Organization expects a global shortage of 15 million healthcare workers by 2030.
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Categories: Technology
Source: vtt.edu.vn