Artificial Intelligence may help identify bacteria quickly, accurately

Microscopes enhanced with artificial intelligence (AI) could help in the quick and accurate diagnosis of the deadly blood infections, which may improve patients' odds of survival, according to a study. The bacteria that most often cause bloodstream infections include the rod-shaped bacteria including Escherichia coli or E.coli, the round clusters of Staphylococcus species, and the pairs or chains of Streptococcus species. Rapid identification and delivery of antibiotic medications is the key to treating bloodstream infections, which can kill up to 40 percent of patients who develop them. In the study, led by scientists Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre (BIDMC) in Boston, used an automated microscope designed to collect high-resolution image data from microscopic slides. A convolutional neural network (CNN) -- a class of artificial intelligence modelled on the mammalian visual cortex and used to analyse visual data -- was trained to categorise bacteria based on their shape and distribution.