Artificial Intelligence in Medicine How Does It Improve the Accuracy and Efficiency of Endoscopy?
Artificial intelligence plays a major role in developing the medical field, improving diagnosis and treatment methods, and one of the medical procedures that artificial intelligence has proven its ability to improve its accuracy is ( endoscopy ) .
Endoscopy is a medical procedure to examine specific organs in the body using a thin, flexible tube equipped with a camera and light. While the procedure itself is relatively simple, analyzing the resulting images can be difficult and require great precision. This is where artificial intelligence comes in, offering solutions in several different ways, including the following:
1- Improve the accuracy of abnormality detection:
The most prominent role of artificial intelligence in endoscopy is improving its accuracy in detecting small abnormalities such as: benign tumors and cancerous masses. Endoscopy often looks for abnormalities that appear in the body before the disease occurs, and studies indicate that artificial intelligence can detect these abnormalities with more accuracy than humans.
In 2017, AI algorithms were able to detect benign tumors with 86% accuracy, compared to expert doctors with just 74% accuracy. Since then, AI systems have improved to 96.4% accuracy, and can now detect abnormalities that doctors might otherwise miss.
But even with this development, these systems will not replace specialists, but they will enhance doctors’ confidence in their diagnoses without the need for lengthy analysis processes. This means that patients can be helped earlier in the disease stages, leading to improved treatment outcomes.
2- Ability to classify tumors:
The benefits of AI in endoscopy are not limited to improving the accuracy of abnormality detection, but also extend to its ability to classify, i.e. differentiate between different types of abnormalities detected.
The ability to classify is important because different types of tumors require different treatment approaches. This means that using AI models in endoscopy ensures that patients get the care they need by detecting the subtle differences between different tumors.
One model was able to distinguish between colorectal tumors with 87% accuracy , on par with expert pathologists. Using such a model, doctors can diagnose a patient without the need for additional review, leading to faster and more accurate treatment.
3- Speeding up the endoscopy process:
AI is both accurate and fast in endoscopy. While accuracy is the most important factor in medical diagnosis, speed is also important. The faster the process, the faster treatment can be started, which improves treatment outcomes and saves time for doctors to treat more patients.
4- Reducing the risk of pollution:
Preventing cross-contamination between multiple tests is critical, as one in 1,000 patients may become infected from an endoscopy. AI can help by ensuring that endoscopy equipment is safely stored and sterilized in smart drying cabinets.
Smart drying cabinets use HEPA filtration systems to dry and sterilize endoscopes after each use. AI algorithms can monitor the cabinets’ internal conditions in real time, adjusting sterilization and drying settings as needed to maintain a consistently sterile environment.
5- Assisting in training specialists:
Endoscopy is a complex procedure that requires training, and given the accuracy of AI in endoscopy, it could be used to teach trainees what different tumors look like.