Introduction
Turing researchers at the University of Warwick’s Tissue Image Analytics Laboratory are working with Intel to create a large, digital repository of a variety of tumour and immune cells found in thousands of human tissue samples, and are developing algorithms to recognise these cells automatically. The work has the potential to improve working practice of pathologists.
Explaining the science
The project's initial work focuses on lung cancer. The University of Warwick and Intel are collaborating to improve a model for computers to recognise cellular distinctions associated with various grades and types of lung cancer by using artificial intelligence frameworks such as TensorFlow running on Intel® Xeon® processors. University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire is annotating the digital pathology images to help inform the model.
Project aims
The project's digital pathology imaging solution aims to enable pathologists to increase their accuracy and reliability in analysing cancerous tissue specimens compared with existing methods.
The initial aim is to create a model for lung cancer that will eventually be useful in many types of cancer - creating more objective results, lowering the risk of human errors, and aiding oncologists and patients in their selection of treatments.
Applications
This methodology will be the next step in revolutionising traditional healthcare with computerised systems and could be placed in any pathology department, in any hospital. The successful adoption of these tools will stimulate better organisation of services, gains in efficiency, and above all, better care for patients, especially those with cancer.