New Delhi: An artificial intelligence (AI) tool developed by doctors and researchers at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, can act as a second reader of mammograms and alert radiologists to possible signs of breast cancer.AIIMS on Wednesday transferred the technology to Indian healthcare technology company BPL Technologies Ltd for further development, regulatory approval and deployment in hospitals.The model is designed to support radiologists, particularly in hospitals where doctors have limited experience in interpreting mammograms or breast imaging specialists are in short supply.Dr Krithika Rangarajan, Associate Professor, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Oncoradiology, AIIMS, said the model was designed as a safety net to reduce the chances of missed cancers.“The idea is to act as a second reader and alert the radiologist to any possible cancer, so that they do not miss cancers on mammography,” she said.The model has been trained completely on Indian data. Rangarajan said it was the first Indian version of a mammography AI model.Developed over around one to one-and-a-half years with initial funding from the Ministry of Education, the model was retrospectively tested on around 3,000-4,000 patients at AIIMS.According to Rangarajan, it showed a 99% negative predictive value at the threshold used in the study. This means that when the model indicated no cancer, it was correct about 99% of the time in that study setting. Performance, however, depends on the threshold used.The AI tool has been deployed at AIIMS for around a year in trial mode and is not being used to make clinical decisions. Patients continue to receive reports from radiologists while researchers assess the AI separately.BPL Technologies will take the model towards a finished product, obtain regulatory clearances and provide technical support for hospital deployment. Rangarajan said it could potentially reach hospitals in around six months, depending on regulatory approvals.
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The technology transfer took place at AIIMS on September 16 in the presence of institute director Prof Nikhil Tandon and BPL Technologies chief financial officer Ajay Jindal.Prof Tandon said the initiative would help translate academic research into solutions addressing real-world healthcare needs.The key patient benefit could be an additional layer of support in mammogram interpretation, particularly in hospitals with limited access to breast imaging specialists. Wider clinical use will depend on validation and regulatory clearances.
