AI Breakthrough Predicts Kidney Failure 6X Faster Than Human Experts

In a groundbreaking development, doctors and scientists at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals in the UK are harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) to predict when a person’s kidneys might fail, and the results are astonishing. The innovative AI tool is not only highly accurate but also a staggering six times faster than traditional manual processes used by human expert analysts.

The tool’s remarkable capabilities lie in its ability to provide a rapid and precise analysis of total kidney volume, a crucial measurement used to assess future kidney lifespan in patients suffering from autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). This inherited condition, which affects between 30,000 to 70,000 people in the UK, is characterized by the growth of fluid-filled sacs in the kidneys, causing them to gradually enlarge and ultimately fail.

Traditionally, monitoring ADPKD has been a painstaking process, requiring medical professionals to meticulously analyze 50 to 60 “slices” of MRI scans, carefully tracing the edges of each kidney on a computer screen. This labor-intensive task consumed approximately an hour of staff time per patient case.

Enter the AI tool, developed by a team led by Professor Albert Ong, a consultant nephrologist and clinical lead for genetics at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals. By automating the segmentation of the MRI scans, the AI can deliver the vital results predicting future kidney lifespan in less than a minute.

“Our AI tool performed as well as the human expert analysts and did the job approximately six times faster,” Professor Ong explained. “We fed a collection of images and kidney tracings to an AI algorithm until it had learned to do the tracing process itself to a high standard.”

The implications of this breakthrough are far-reaching, as accurate and timely predictions of kidney failure are crucial for patients with ADPKD. “By automating kidney volume measurements, we have been able to predict when kidney failure is going to happen faster and with a high degree of accuracy,” Ong said. “This is important in this group of patients as once kidney failure is reached, the disease is irreversible, and treatment can only be given through dialysis or transplant.”

Moreover, the AI tool’s potential extends beyond Sheffield, as it could revolutionize kidney clinics worldwide. “This tool will enable kidney clinics worldwide to measure kidney volume quickly and accurately,” Ong added. “It will make the measurement of kidney volume possible at clinics where there is a lack of specialist expertise.”

As the world continues to embrace the transformative power of AI, this remarkable innovation from Sheffield Teaching Hospitals serves as a shining example of how technology can enhance patient care, streamline processes, and ultimately save lives.

Source: Medicalxpress

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