HAIFA, ISRAEL (August 22, 2018) – Dr. Kira Radinsky and Shahar Harel of the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology Computer Science Department have developed a smart system for the development of new drugs. Founded on artificial intelligence and deep learning, the system is expected to dramatically shorten and reduce the costs of drug development. It will be presented this week during the KDD 2018 conference in London. Drug production is a costly and lengthy process. Costs of half a billion to 2.5 billion dollars per drug, over 10-15 years are common numbers in the world of pharmacology.

Heather Potters is trying to get to the point. On a stage at Denver's Air & Space museum, a 182,000 square-foot space filled with decommissioned aircraft, she stands in front of a PowerPoint and describes her company's no-needle syringes, which can deliver vaccines by accelerating the liquid into a superfast stream that punctures the skin. Two Air Force jets point their noses at each other to her left, facing off, just like Potters and the other participants in tonight's NASA iTech competition. Here at NASA's iTech competition, the co-founder of PharmaJet is vying for access to expert advice from the space agency. She and 14 other researchers are pitching diverse terrestrial technologies that they hope to level up to space.

The year 2018 has seen a good influx of innovative medical devices. Artificial intelligence (AI) serves as a critical component in most of these novel devices. FDA has defined artificial intelligence as: "A device or a product that can imitate intelligent behavior or mimics human learning and reasoning. Artificial Intelligence includes machine learning, neural networks, and natural language processing. Some terms used to describe artificial intelligence include: computer-aided detection/diagnosis, statistical learning, deep learning, or smart algorithms."

For millions of people suffering from diabetes, new technology enabled by artificial intelligence promises to make management much easier. Medtronic's Guardian Connect system promises to alert users 10 to 60 minutes before they hit high or low blood sugar level thresholds, thanks to IBM Watson, "the same supercomputer technology that can predict global weather patterns." Startup Beta Bionics goes even further: In May, it received Food and Drug Administration approval to start clinical trials on what it calls a "bionic pancreas system" powered by artificial intelligence, capable of "automatically and autonomously managing blood sugar levels 24/7." An artificial pancreas powered by artificial intelligence represents a huge step forward for the treatment of diabetes--but getting it right will be hard. Artificial intelligence (also known in various iterations as deep learning and machine learning) promises to automatically learn from patterns in medical data to help us do everything from managing diabetes to finding tumors in an MRI to predicting how long patients will live.

Imagine a world where you can detect issues early and can use that information to make changes that are beneficial for everyone? What if that was possible now? Thanks to Ken Ferry, the CEO of iCAD, there is no need to wonder. Ken and his team have developed innovative technology that detects cancer at an early stage and offers therapy solutions that provide non-invasive treatment for patients. Tamara: Can you share a story that inspired you to get involved in AI? Ken: What inspires and excites me the most about AI is the fact that this innovative technology has the ability to protect and preserve life through the collaboration between technology and medical science.

The software, compatible with iCAD's digital breast tomosynthesis solutions, uses artificial intelligence to assess patients' breast density. "At iCAD, we continually strive to provide radiologists with the most advanced, accurate and efficient software solutions designed for the early detection of breast cancer," Ken Ferry, CEO of iCAD, said in a prepared statement. "Breast density plays a critical role in both risk assessment and accuracy, as mammography sensitivity is reduced to approximately 48 percent from an average of 98 percent in those women with dense breasts. Our cutting-edge technology rapidly produces consistent breast density results while reducing the risk of reader variability, enabling radiologists to more easily identify women who might benefit from additional screening." The solution delivers breast density measurements according to the American College of Radiology's BI-RADS reporting system.

With greater investment from healthcare organisations and surgical robot technology about to become generic, the conditions are perfect for a boom in the surgical robotics market. But how can design engineers and technical medical staff ensure these new systems operate reliably and safely? Michele Windsor, global marketing manager at surgical robot battery manufacturer Accutronics, has a solution. While they may sometimes feel like a new medical technology, surgical robots have actually been around for several decades. The first robot system successfully conducted a neurosurgical biopsy in 1985, while the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved its first surgical robot -- the da Vinci surgical system -- in 2000.

Whether interfering early on in the diagnosis process, managing medical data, assisting health care providers, or helping doctors tailor precise treatments, Health AI is likely to disrupt the healthcare ecosystem from top to bottom. The health AI market is experiencing a boom and is expected to reach a value of $6.6 billion by 2021, up from just $600 million in 2014. According to a report by Accenture, by 2026, AI applications with "near-term value" could translate to $150 billion annual savings for the U.S. healthcare industry. The above report puts robot-assisted surgery at the top of AI applications in terms of the potential value for the healthcare industry. By 2026, robot-assisted surgeries will amount to savings worth $40 billion, driven by "technological advances in robotic solutions for more types of surgery."

Federal cuts limit Iowa's access to health insurance enrollment services CORALVILLE -- The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics has become the first to employ new technology -- developed by a company rooted in the university's research engine -- that uses artificial intelligence to diagnose an eye disease. On June 12, the Diabetes and Endocrinology Center at UI Health Care-Iowa River Landing in Coralville began using technology developed by IDx, the Coralville-based medical diagnostics company. The device, which received approval from U.S. Food and Drug Administration in April, was developed to diagnose diabetic retinopathy, a diabetes complication that can cause blindness. Called IDx-DR, the device uses software and a retinal camera to take images of a patient's retina. From there, the AI analyzes the patient's images "the same way I do as a clinician" to determine if the patient has the condition, said Dr. Michael Abramoff, president and director of IDx and UI Health Care ophthalmologist.

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