TOKYO:Fujitsu and Tokyo Shinagawa Hospital today announced the launch of a joint R&D project for AI technology to support diagnostic imaging via chest CT (Computed Tomography), which represents a promising candidate for the effective diagnosis of COVID-19 pneumonia.

The newly-proposed technology supports doctors performing diagnostic imaging on patients suspected of having COVID-19 pneumonia, presenting the likelihood of infection through a numerical, three-dimensional visualization of the spread of shadows in the lungs using chest CT imaging. Applying AI to this analysis could significantly reduce the burden on doctors who diagnose COVID-19 pneumonia by automating a process that normally demands the visual confirmation of hundreds of chest CT images per patient.

Fujitsu and Tokyo Shinagawa Hospital anticipate that the system will deliver early detection of cases of COVID-19 pneumonia based on chest CT image findings, even in cases in which the possibility of infection is determined to be low upon initial examination.

This joint research will enhance AI diagnostic support technology for novel coronavirus pneumonia, and Fujitsu ultimately aims to commercialize the technology as a healthcare solution for frontline medical professionals.

Background

When treating patients who are strongly suspected of having a novel coronavirus infection, the diagnosis and treatment plan are determined holistically based on PCR test results as well as other test results including blood tests and chest CT test (Figure 1). Even if the PCR test is negative, the diagnosis of new-onset coronavirus pneumonia can be made by other tests, and imaging with chest CT is an important consideration.

Doctors make lung disease diagnoses based on the characteristics of the shadows in the lesion on the patient’s chest CT image. In addition to identifying abnormalities, they visually check hundreds of chest CT images per patient to understand the three-dimensional distribution of shadows throughout the lung. A growing demand for technologies that reduce the burden on doctors and support speedy decision-making has accompanied the spread of the COVID-19 virus. It is also important to identify novel coronavirus pneumonia from a CT scan of the patient’s chest if there is a low likelihood of a novel coronavirus infection during the examination and PCR testing is not performed.

In response to the need for diagnostic support, Fujitsu and Tokyo Shinagawa Hospital will jointly embark on the development of AI-assisted diagnostic imaging technology for chest CT scans, which are considered to be an effective method in diagnosing novel coronavirus pneumonia.