Today, in 2023, it is easy to forget how miraculous the discovery of the X-ray was – imagine an innovation so implausible that it allowed you to see through human skin. In fact, the world may be on the cusp of such an innovation, something which will allow not just medical practitioners but also patients to view even more highly detailed medical images in real-time.
As revolutionary as it was at the time, the X-ray still has its limitations; certain human tissues, movement by the patient at the moment of the image capture, or incorrect positioning of the patient in front of the scanner are just some of the most basic hurdles radiographers face in producing clear images.
The same challenges exist with images produced by MRI and CT scans. Applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) have the potential to reinterpret these images, reduce blurring in the image based on data from patient history, and even “fill in the gaps” in such cases. Further, existing three-dimensional models of the human anatomy created by computer programs could be enhanced, and new ones created much more rapidly and simply, through applications of AI.
This has the potential to revolutionize the field of health, not only for medical professionals but for patients and their caregivers too. For doctors, the increased precision and detail in imaging can allow for more accurate diagnoses and treatment plans. Far from replacing the role of the radiographer, AI will augment and complement their expertise, and create new opportunities for specialization.
For health systems, it will provide scope for a better allocation of resources arising from a more efficient performance by health providers. The introduction of AI in health systems in developing and isolated areas could fill gaps in existing medical networks, allowing for specific diagnoses to be provided by general practitioners, alleviating the existing requirement for radiologists “on the ground”.
For patients, quicker diagnoses and a reduced requirement for repeated scans (and the associated radiation exposure) can only be a positive outcome. This is not to mention potentially increased comfort in obtaining the images – an improvement on the current claustrophobia MRI scans, and the perfectly still (and therefore child-unfriendly) environment that X-rays require.
At the very least, the introduction of AI could save hundreds of thousands of lives every year – a welcome development, and expand the work of Marie Curie in a way that she could have only imagined.
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