GE HealthCare has unveiled its new AI Innovation Lab, a strategic initiative aimed at advancing early-stage artificial intelligence innovations within the company. This announcement aligns with GE HealthCare’s broader mission to integrate AI into medical devices, create AI applications that enhance clinical decision-making, and optimize operational efficiencies across healthcare systems.
The AI Innovation Lab is designed to fast-track groundbreaking AI projects, which form part of the company’s wider AI and digital strategy. GE HealthCare’s investment in cloud technology serves as the foundation for these developments, providing the necessary computational resources to scale AI innovations.
Speaking about the initiative, Dr. Taha Kass-Hout, Global Chief Science and Technology Officer at GE HealthCare, said, “The AI Innovation Lab showcases our commitment to leading healthcare innovation. We are not just developing technology; we are exploring how AI can empower healthcare providers. For example, our Health Companion project aims to bring the expertise of a multi-disciplinary medical team directly to clinicians, supporting them in making faster, more informed decisions.”
The lab will focus on several pioneering AI projects aimed at improving patient outcomes and streamlining care delivery. These include:
- Health Companion: This project explores the use of agentic AI, involving multiple specialized agents that collaborate to offer physicians expert advice on treatment plans. The system uses multi-modal data and can adapt its recommendations based on new information, potentially transforming clinical decision-making.
- Triple Negative Breast Cancer Recurrence Prediction: In collaboration with Emory University’s Winship Cancer Institute, GE HealthCare is developing AI tools to predict the recurrence of triple negative breast cancer. This research, funded by a National Institutes of Health grant, uses deep learning to evaluate data from genomics and pathology to improve early detection.
- Maternal and Child Healthcare: GE HealthCare is also working on AI solutions to reduce preventable risks in childbirth. By harnessing generative AI and large language models, the company hopes to make it easier for care teams to access best practices and clinical protocols quickly.
- X-ray Foundation Model: GE HealthCare is developing a full-body AI model based on 1.2 million anonymized X-ray images. This initiative aims to reduce the administrative burden on radiologists by automating tasks like report generation and image interpretation.
- Mammography Screening Support: With a shortage of radiologists globally, GE HealthCare is exploring AI-based tools to help radiologists efficiently identify normal mammogram scans, allowing them to focus on more complex cases and improve access to preventive care.
In addition to these research efforts, GE HealthCare has submitted a 510(k) application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for clearance of an AI-powered fetal heart rate interpretation tool designed to improve maternal and infant care.
Visit GE HealthCare at the AI Pavilion, booth #3816, at HLTH 2024 in Las Vegas from October 20-23.