Fujifilm to Develop AI-Based Technology for Analysis of Coronavirus-Induced Pneumonia

By HospiMedica International staff writers
Posted on 23 May 2020

Fujifilm Corporation (Tokyo, Japan) will begin a research study to develop Artificial Intelligence (AI)-based technology to aid in the diagnosis and treatment assessment of patients with COVID-19-induced pneumonia.

Fujifilm has been working on developing AI technology that can be used for assisting medical diagnostic imaging, facilitating workflow at the medical frontline and delivering maintenance services for medical equipment. Fujifilm will apply the CT quantification technology for interstitial pneumonia to develop the technology that helps evaluate the progress of patients with COVID-19-induced pneumonia and determine the effectiveness of treatments.

Image: CT images of a patient who has developed pneumonia as a complication of COVID-19 and analysis results (Photo courtesy of Fujifilm Corporation)

Fujifilm's CT quantification technology for interstitial pneumonia is powered by an AI-based software that examines CT images to identify bronchi, blood vessels and normal lungs in lung field as well as seven types of lesions such as reticular opacities, ground-glass opacities and honeycomb lungs, and automatically carries out categorization and measurement to quantify lesions of interstitial pneumonia. It also divides the lung field into 12 zones and shows the volume and ratio of lesions for each of the zones so that clinicians can examine the distribution and progression of lesions within the lung field in details. In addition, the technology is expected to contribute to accelerating the development and evaluation of drug candidates for treating pneumonia induced by COVID-19.