Technique to detect Covid-19 through CT scan developed

Our Correspondent

Phagwara, May 18

The World Health Organization (WHO) holds that the novel coronavirus causes respiratory illness resembling viral pneumonia, resulting in fever, cough, and shortness of breath. A study published in the journal Radiology also found that chest X-ray scan features can help in the early detection and diagnosis of the virus

Keeping in view this point a researchers’ team of sciences and technology domains at Lovely Professional University (LPU) has developed an easy-to-use ‘Cloud-based advanced Web-Interface’ to detect and diagnose ‘Covid-19 symptoms’ quickly.

The diagnosis will be possible merely from the CT scans or X-Ray image reports of the concerned patients. Using this interface, health professionals will only have to upload patient’s scan images on the website to get the diagnosis result within a few seconds, even for the reports received from the remotest parts of the country.

LPU International Affairs Incharge Aman Mittal said, this A.I (Artificial Intelligence) framework has been successfully tested on more than 13,000 Chest Radiography Images.

LPU Scientists’ team is now in touch with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) for further evaluation of the innovative ‘Interface’.

As per the LPU team, this novel system does not need any high-tech device or extra skilled technicians to operate upon, except for uploading the images. It can be easily accessed by an authorised healthcare professional from anywhere in the world through a basic mobile device with internet connectivity and a web browser. The developed web-interface is connected to an AI model at a centralised server which processes the images received from the web portal, and sends the results back to the web portal. The portal is capable of hosting any AI model that is preferred by a hospital, and will accordingly be able to detect the infection as well as the extent to which it has affected the patient. Moreover, the images uploaded on the interface will be AES encrypted ensuring complete privacy for the patient.

In fact, early detection will help doctors to segregate patients and make decisions to prioritize, isolate or put the concerned patient on a ventilator by using available resources efficiently.

Executive Dean of Science and Technology at LPU, Dr Lovi Raj Gupta said experts from around the world had also recommended the use of CT scans for quick diagnosis of Covid-19.