Latest news with #TessWatt
Yahoo
a day ago
- Health
- Yahoo
New AI tool could speed up skin cancer diagnoses in remote areas
A researcher at a Scottish university has developed AI tools that could give people in remote areas of the world access to fast and potentially life-saving skin cancer diagnoses. 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. Skin cancers are the most common groups of cancers diagnosed globally, according to the WHO, which says around 60,000 people die from the disease every year. The project is understood to be the first of its kind to combine AI medical diagnosis with the aim of serving remote communities. 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. Watt is also in talks with Scotland's health care system 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.' Solve the daily Crossword
The Star
2 days ago
- Health
- The Star
AI tool could speed up skin cancer diagnoses in remote parts of world
The project is understood to be the first of its kind to combine AI medical diagnosis with the aim of serving remote communities. — Dreamstime/TNS LONDON: A researcher at a Scottish university has developed AI tools that could give people in remote areas of the world access to fast and potentially life-saving skin cancer diagnoses. 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. 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. Watt is also in talks with National Health Service 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. 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.' – PA Media/dpa
STV News
2 days ago
- Health
- STV News
New AI tool could speed up skin cancer diagnoses in remote areas
A researcher at a Scottish university has developed AI tools that could give people in remote areas of the world access to fast and potentially life-saving skin cancer diagnoses. 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.' Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
Scotsman
2 days ago
- Health
- Scotsman
New AI tool could speed up skin cancer diagnoses in remote parts of world
Technology would enable early detection without the need for direct access to dermatologists Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A researcher at a Scottish university has developed AI tools that could give people in remote areas of the world access to fast and potentially life-saving skin cancer diagnoses. 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. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad PhD student Tess Watt, who has developed AI tools that could give people in remote areas of the world access to fast and potentially life-saving skin cancer diagnoses | Heriot-Watt University/PA Wire 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. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 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. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Up to 85 per cent accurate The research team said the tool is up to 85 per cent 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. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 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. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 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.
North Wales Chronicle
2 days ago
- Health
- North Wales Chronicle
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.'
