A "5G+AI" real-time remote ultrasound examination of carotid artery was successfully completed in the telemedicine center in Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) and the ultrasound department of a township health center in Baoji, Shanxi Province. It was showed that when the physician in Baoji put the ultrasonic probe on the neck of the elderly patient, experts in PUMCH could see the real-time ultrasonic images on the LCD screen immediately. Unlike conventional images, these images were auto-labeled with different colors.

"The green boxes are blood vessels, and the red and blue ones are areas that are highly suspected of plaques, which are identified by AI." said Li Jianchu, director of Department of Diagnostic Ultrasound of PUMCH. "Carotid plaque screening is very important for the early diagnosis and warning of chronic cardiac, cerebral, and renal diseases, but misdiagnoses and missed diagnoses still occasionally occur. Real-time AI could help reduce the rate of missed diagnoses. At the same time, remote experts can work with primary doctors to make targeted diagnosis and analysis of suspected plaques and find better solutions. It is worth mentioning that "5G+AI" real-time remote carotid ultrasound screening has not been reported at home and abroad before."

It is reported that a joint research has been carried out since July 2019 by Associate Professor Yang Meng’s team from the Department of Diagnostic Ultrasound of PUMCH and Researcher Yang Bin’s team from the Institute for Artificial Intelligence of Tsinghua University. Using the self-developed algorithm, the artificial intelligence screening and real-time auxiliary diagnosis of plaques based on carotid ultrasound videos are preliminarily realized.

Performing the "5G+AI" real-time remote ultrasound examination of carotid artery in telemedicine center in PUMCH

The screen showing "5G+AI" real-time remote ultrasound examination of carotid artery

Text: Wang Xiaoyu, Health News

Reporter: Wang Lu, Chen Mingyan

Photo: Sun Liang

Translator: Zhang Li

Editor: Xu Xiaohan