AI has arrived in all large diagnostic devices
AI systems have also become an integral part of large medical devices. This is particularly true for diagnostics and radiology, according to a well-attended virtual event organised by the online platform "Zukunft Teleradiologie", at which experienced experts from renowned companies such as Siemens Healthineers, Agfa Healthcare Germany, GE HealthCare and Canon Medical recently presented their product innovations and took a look into the future of intelligent systems.
"It's impressive what has happened in this field in recent years," says a delighted Dr Torsten Möller, Chairman of the German Society of Teleradiology, CEO of Germany's largest teleradiology network reif und möller and one of the initiators of the online event platform "Zukunft Teleradiologie". "Thanks to continuous technical progress and the constant expansion of computing power, AI has now arrived in almost all large medical devices such as CTs, MRIs and X-ray machines as well as in daily routine - to the benefit of doctors and medical staff as well as patients."
His co-initiator, Dr Uwe Engelmann, Managing Director of Nexus/Chili GmbH, is also enthusiastic: "The integration of artificial intelligence into CT, MRI or X-ray machines automates scan preparation as well as scan execution and post-processing, which not only relieves the burden on staff, but also shortens waiting and examination times and minimises the radiation dose for the patient. It also reduces the noise in the images, which increases the image quality and thus also improves the overall quality of the findings."
Dr Möller and Dr Engelmann, together with the third initiator of the event series, Detlef Hans Franke, Managing Partner of the Frankfurt-based communications and marketing agency FuP, which specialises in healthcare, also agreed on the future of artificial intelligence in diagnostic devices: "I am certain that the current status quo is far from the end of the line," said Franke. "The technical possibilities are there and the need is increasing rather than decreasing." "The shortage of specialists in medicine will continue to worsen, as will demographic change and thus the pressure that fewer and fewer doctors will have to treat more and more patients in less and less time," agrees Dr Engelmann, who sees enormous potential for expansion, especially at the AI interfaces.
There was also agreement on the point that doctors and medical staff need not fear that they will become superfluous through the use of intelligent systems: "There will always be doctors and medical staff," Franke is certain. "Only some of the tasks and processes will change." "In the end, AI will not replace doctors as specialists, but only those who don't want to use AI," predicts Dr Möller and therefore advises his colleagues not to close their minds to this development, but rather to influence its direction and contribute to its further development.
"AI systems in diagnostic devices" was the eighth event in the "Zukunft Teleradiologie" series. If you would like to find out more about the format, please take a look at the homepage vorbei. Here you will also find a video recording of the event and the speakers' presentations for download.
"Zukunft Teleradiologie" is an event platform for all those involved with artificial intelligence (AI) in teleradiology. The initiators are the German Society for Teleradiology, Reif and Möller - Network for Teleradiology, NEXUS / CHILI GmbH and the specialised healthcare agency FuP Kommunikation. Expertise partners are the companies Aidoc, EIZO and Radiologie Magazin.