A leading biotech company is set to launch India’s first portable X-ray device, which can diagnose infectious disease in its early stages using artificial intelligence, as a shot in the arm for the Centre’s target of eliminating tuberculosis from India by 2025.
On February 14, Pune-based Mylab Discovery Solutions announced a collaboration with Qure.ai, a leading provider of AI software for medical imaging, to deploy AI-enabled chest X-rays for the early detection of tuberculosis and to aid in universal lung health.
Under the terms of the agreement, Mylab’s soon-to-be-released handheld X-ray device, MyBeam, will use Qure.ai’s cutting-edge AI software, qXR, to improve the accuracy and speed of tuberculosis diagnosis.
Affordable solution to treat infectious disease
The test, which will be available in a few weeks, will be nearly the same cost as normal X-Ray tests.
The collaboration will be a key accelerator in the country’s mission to screen and detect patients for pulmonary tuberculosis and support the Union government’s strategic plan to eliminate the disease by 2025 while strengthening access to screening among populations at higher risk from this disease.
“Our hand-held X-ray device will strengthen our TB screening capabilities and with Qure.ai’s power of deep learning for radiology, the process will become much faster, more objective, and scalable,” Hasmukh Rawal, MD and co-founder of Mylab Discovery Solutions said.
According to Prashant Warier, co-founder and chief executive at Qure.ai, the AI-enabled diagnostic tool would be an affordable solution and an ideal example of how technology can make a difference in the lives of millions.
Cutting-edge technology
Through its investee company Lipomic, MyBeam, the country’s first portable X-Ray device, is outfitted with cutting-edge high-frequency technology. The device provides high performance and speed, acquiring images in a matter of minutes. It is extremely compact and lightweight, providing expanded clinical coverage and can be used in resource-limited settings or where equipment is unavailable.
As qXR, a World Health Organization-recommended application uses deep learning algorithms to analyze chest X-rays and accurately identify TB in under a minute,
MyBeam could be extremely useful for finding TB cases in the most remote areas.
