Taiwan's Invention of An AI Real-Time Detection and Diagnosis of Liver Tumor with Ultrasound Won the Award

The Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL) 2024 Announces the Winner of the “Investigator Award”

 

Taiwan’s invention of an AI real-time detection and diagnosis of liver tumor with ultrasound won the award

 

Taiwan has made another world-wide medical advancement: the “deep learning device that automatically diagnoses and detects hepatic tumors,” developed by the Good Liver Foundation, the National Taiwan University Hospital, and Yuan High-Tech Development Co. Ltd., won the “Investigator Award” of the 33rd Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL) held in Kyoto, Japan on March 30, 2024.

 

The device is the first entirely philanthropic real-time ultrasound AI in Taiwan.  Yuan High-Tech Development Co. Ltd. supported the project monetarily and helped develop the device.  Dr. Chih-Horng Wu, M.D., Ph.D., Attending of Department of Medical Imaging of the National Taiwan University Hospital, represented all involved parties to present the device and received the award at APASL, catching the attention of thousands of global liver medical experts.

 

The development of the device was headed by Dr. Hsiao-Ching Nien, M.D., Ph.D., the CEO of the Good Liver Foundation and the Attending of the Department of Family Medicine at the National Taiwan University Hospital.  Dr. Nien hoped to replicate through AI the expertise and decades of experience of Professor Jin-Chuan Sheu, M.D., Ph.D.  Pro. Sheu was the first expert to diagnose liver tumor with ultrasound in Taiwan.  Therefore, when medical personnel use the device on patients for abdominal ultrasound, it utilizes Pro. Sheu’s expertise and longtime experience to differentiate whether the tumor is benign or malignant.  Pro. Sheu is currently the Chairman of the Good Liver Foundation and the Honorary Professor of the National Taiwan University Hospital.

 

The invention collected data of 1,576 patients and 6,001 liver tumor images, and retrospectively confirmed diagnoses of liver tumors through computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or pathology.  The images of tumors were marked by certified ultrasound imaging medical doctors, further training the AI device to automatically detect and diagnose liver tumors. Through these methods, the device can differentiate between benign and malignant tumor with 90% AUC（Area Under Curve）, almost matching the diagnoses rates through CT or MRI.  

 

Accordingly, the AI device could assist medical personnel to diagnose liver tumors using ultrasound in a timely manner and without radiation.  It also relieves the anxiety of patients with liver tumors.  Additionally, it reduces machine imaging (CT or MRI) waiting time and the Taiwan government’s medical expenses.  

 

The device currently has received patents from many countries, with hopes that the device can soon be used clinically, benefiting patients, medial personnel, and countries with machine imaging inconvenience and expenditure difficulties.

The first real-time ultrasound imaging AI device in the country entirely funded by social compassion.


 

Liver Disease Prevention and Treatment Research Foundation
Chairman of the Board : Hsu Jinchuan


Liver Disease Prevention and Treatment Research Foundation
CEO : Nian Xiaojing


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