New AI tool could speed up skin cancer diagnoses in remote parts of world
Tess Watt, the PhD student at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh who led the project to develop the technology, said it is intended to enable early detection of skin conditions anywhere in the world, and without the need for direct access to dermatologists.
The technology also works without internet access.
The system involves a patient taking a photograph of their skin complaint using a small camera attached to a Raspberry Pi device – a cheap, energy-efficient handheld computer that is capable of storing vast amounts of information.
The photograph is analysed in real-time using the latest state-of-the-art image classification, comparing it to an enormous dataset of thousands of images stored on the device to reach a diagnosis.
The findings are then shared with a local GP service to begin a suitable treatment plan.
The project is understood to be the first of its kind to combine AI medical diagnosis with the aim of serving remote communities.
Ms Watt explained: ' Healthcare from home is a really important topic at the moment, especially as GP wait times continue to grow.
'If we can empower people to monitor skin conditions from their own homes using AI, we can dramatically reduce delays in diagnosis.'
A prototype of the device has already been demonstrated at Heriot-Watt's advanced health and care technologies suite.
The research team said the tool is up to 85% accurate in its diagnostic capabilities, but they hope to increase this further by gaining access to more skin lesion datasets, aided by advanced machine tools.
Ms Watt is also in talks with NHS Scotland to begin the ethical approval process for testing the technology in real-world clinical settings.
'Hopefully in the next year or two, we'll have a pilot project under way,' she said, noting medical technology often takes years to move from prototype to implementation.
She added: 'By the time I finish my PhD, three years from now, I'd love to see something well into the pipeline that's on its way to real-world use.'
The university said the long-term vision is to roll the system out first across remote regions of Scotland, before expanding to global areas with limited access to dermatological care.
It added the technology could also offer vital support to patients who are infirm or unable to travel, allowing loved ones to assist with capturing and submitting diagnostic images to GPs.
Ms Watt's academic supervisor, Dr Christos Chrysoulas, said: 'E-health devices must be engineered to operate independently of external connectivity to ensure continuity of patient service and safety.
'In the event of a network or cloud service failure, such devices must fail safely and maintain all essential clinical operations without functional degradation.
'While auxiliary or non-critical features may become temporarily unavailable, the core diagnostic and even therapeutic capabilities must remain fully operational, in compliance of course with safety and regulatory requirements.
'Ensuring this level of resilience in affordable, low-cost medical devices is the essence of our research, particularly for deployment in resource-limited settings and areas with limited or no connectivity, where uninterrupted patient care must still be guaranteed.'
UK Science and Technology Secretary Peter Kyle commented on the research, saying: 'Low-cost technology which could help detect skin cancer early and at home, without even the need for internet access, is an incredible example of AI's potential to break down barriers in healthcare and save lives.
'Promising, first of its kind research like this also demonstrates the crucial role UK innovators can play in improving the lives of people of all backgrounds, wherever they live, and makes clear the value of government investing in research to deliver our plan for change.'
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How the latest Omaze Cheshire house draw could help thousands benefit from lifesaving stem cell transplants
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When family members were found not to be a sufficiently good tissue match, doctors scoured national and international registers to find another suitable donor. It was the stem cell charity Anthony Nolan that struck proverbial gold, finding a match in Germany: a woman in her 40s. But the family had to wait another 'agonising' year until doctors deemed Sofia ready for a stem cell transplant at the age of two. 'The next year was full of anxiety,' says Claire. 'Sofia was being closely monitored and we didn't know if she would even survive the transplant.' Claire recalls her excitement when the transplant day arrived in 2016, and she watched the courier arrive at hospital with the donated stem cells for Sofia. 'I saw the courier pull up with the box,' she says. 'When the nurse brought the box into Sofia's room and opened it up, there was what looked like a bag of blood inside – we told Sofia it was a bag of magic cells.' For Sofia the treatment has been transformative. But others aren't so lucky – for while demand for stem cell donations is rocketing, supply is not keeping up. Tragically, some people die waiting – and not just because of a lack of suitable donors. In fact, 2.3 million people are on the UK registry to be stem cell donors. The problem is that, once a match is identified, a donor would be invited to attend a hospital or independent centre with specialist equipment to take the donation – but there aren't enough of these to keep up with demand. Only one in five donors on the UK registry were able to donate on the date requested in 2022-23 because of capacity issues, according to data collected by Anthony Nolan. 'Sometimes, a collection centre may not be able to offer a slot for two or three months as they are already fully booked,' says Dr Lilian Hook, director of cell, apheresis and gene therapies at NHS Blood and Transplant. Such a wait may be catastrophic for the patient who needs the transplant. 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Hurun Research found 1,523 unicorns in the world, based in 52 countries and 307 cities. 359 unicorns saw their valuations rise, of which 203 were new faces. 143 saw their valuations drop, of which 52 were 'demoted' as their valuation no longer met at least $1 billion. 64 were 'promoted' out of the list, of which 34 went IPO and 30 were acquired. 1,073 saw no change to their valuations. Their total value was $5.6 trillion. The world's unicorns are disrupting financial services, business management solutions and healthcare. 77% sell software and services, led by fintech, SaaS, and AI, whilst 23% have a physical product, led by semiconductors, new energy, biotech, and health tech. Hurun Chairman and Chief Researcher Rupert Hoogewerf said: '2025 has been the year of AI. Since the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, AI startups have rocketed, marking a critical inflexion point. Today, nearly a third of the world's unicorns are AI-related, underscoring its transformational impact across industries. Big data, SaaS, and fintech remain the most common sectors for AI-themed unicorns, whilst 128 are pure-play AI companies with a combined valuation nearing $1 trillion, spanning AI assistants to machine learning platforms, and sector-specific AI applications in healthcare, security, robotics and fintech.' "SpaceX has become the world's most valuable unicorn, with a staggering $350 billion valuation, ahead of TikTok-owner ByteDance and OpenAI. It's the first time a space exploration company has led the pack." 'No company encapsulates the 2020s unicorn boom quite like OpenAI. Two years ago, OpenAI was valued at just $20 billion; today, it's $300 billion. That jump in valuation in just two years is the fastest we've ever seen, driven by the revolutionary potential of generative AI.' 'Some founders don't stop at one unicorn. With xAI, Elon Musk is now the founder or co-founder of three of the world's four most valuable unicorns, as well as Neuralink ($8 billion) and The Boring Company ($7 billion) — a testament to how one visionary entrepreneur can repeatedly create massive value in completely different industries. Five have founded three unicorns and 33 have founded two.' 'When it comes to unicorns, the world can essentially be split into three regions: the U.S., China, and the rest of the world. The U.S. accounts for half of all unicorns, China a quarter, and the remaining quarter is spread across dozens of other countries, led by India and the UK. Surprisingly, perhaps, the EU countries together have just over 112 unicorns, less than 8%, despite contributing to 20% of the world's GDP. Each region has its strengths: American unicorns are heavy in SaaS, fintech and AI; China's are in AI, semiconductors and renewable energy; and the rest of the world leans towards fintech and e-commerce — reflecting different regional innovation focuses.' 'The United States is in a league of its own with 758 unicorns — fully 50% of the world's total. California alone is home to 396 companies valued at a combined $2.1 trillion. The East Coast, led by New York with 141 unicorns, Massachusetts with 44 unicorns and Florida with 15 unicorns, continues to thrive in fintech, healthcare, and enterprise software. The Midwest, while smaller in count, shows growth in states like Illinois, with 15 unicorns, and demonstrates increasing startup momentum beyond coastal hubs. States like Texas, with over 32 unicorns, Colorado and Washington are emerging as strategic tech centres, boosted by talent migration and business-friendly environments. This dispersion indicates a maturing innovation landscape where startup ecosystems are flourishing across diverse regions, not just Silicon Valley.' About Hurun Established in the United Kingdom in 1999, Hurun is a research and media group, promoting entrepreneurship through its lists and research. Widely regarded as an opinion leader in the world of business, Hurun generated 8 billion views on the Hurun brand in 2023, mainly in China and India, and recently expanded to the UK, U.S., Canada, and Australia. Best known for the Hurun Rich List series, telling the stories of the world's successful entrepreneurs in China, India, and the world, Hurun's other key series focus on young businesses and entrepreneurs, through the Hurun Unicorns Index, two Hurun Future Unicorns indices, the Hurun Uth series, and the Hurun Pioneers series. Hurun has grown to become the world's largest list compiler for startups, ranking over 3,000 startups across the world through its annual Hurun Global Unicorns Index (startups with a valuation of $1 billion or more), and two Hurun Future Unicorn Indexes: Gazelles, most likely to 'go unicorn' within three years, and Cheetahs, most likely to 'go unicorn' within five years. The Hurun Pioneering Young Startups and Entrepreneurs series focuses on startups set up within the last ten years and founders aged 45 or under. The Hurun Uth series includes the Under25s, Under30s, Under35s, and Under40s awards, representing the cream of each generation of young entrepreneurs who have founded businesses with a social impact and worth $1 million, $10 million, $50 million, and $100 million, respectively in U.S. dollars. Other lists include the Hurun 500 series, ranking the most valuable companies in the world, China and India, the Hurun Global High Schools List, ranking the world's best independent high schools, the Hurun Philanthropy List, ranking the biggest philanthropists and the Hurun Art List, ranking the world's most successful artists alive today. Hurun provides research reports co-branded with some of the world's leading financial institutions and regional governments. Hurun hosts high-profile events across China and India, as well as London, Paris, New York, LA, Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney, Luxembourg, Istanbul, Dubai, and Singapore. For further information, view the video here, opens new tab or visit opens new tab. Media Contact , opens new tabPorsha Pan +86 139 1838 7446 opens new tab Media Contact Ke Zhang+86 139 6432 ### SOURCE: Hurun Copyright 2025 EZ Newswire See release on EZ Newswire
