Last week, Chinese language search engine Baidu has launched a new artificial intelligence-powered tool which aims at detecting ocular fundus, an organism that can lead to blindness.
The latest tool, called AI Fundus Camera, will be able to screen for three types of ocular fundus diseases.
How it works?
The new AI-powered camera takes a photograph and then generates a screening report. According to the company, this photo doesn't need to be taken by a physician.
Baidu developed the system by working with eye hospitals in China to scan for conditions such as diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration and glaucoma. This experience allowed the company's system to learn from images labelled as fundus. Eventually, the system was able to report a 94 percent sensitivity and 94 percent specificity when screening for the fundus.
Importance of the AI-camera
According to a statement given by Baidu, China has a shortage of ophthalmologists. The goal of this technology is to spot this condition even if an ophthalmologist isn't present. The company also said that it will donate 500 of the cameras to rural areas of China.
Trend of AI in China
On the other hand, this isn't Baidu's first dip in the digital health waters. Just two years ago, the search engine introduced Melody, an AI-powered conversational bot.
Meanwhile, the technology gathers information, responds to patients about medical conditions and gives feedback to the real-life doctors. The tool was constructed on the Baidu Doctor app, which was launched in 2015 and could primarily allow patients to ask doctors direct questions and schedule appointments.
However, Baidu isn't the only Chinese company jumping into the digital health area. Chinese insurtech company CareVoice raised $18 million in funding in 2018 and announced that it was expanding into the Hong Kong market.
With more than 1.4 billion people, the Chinese market appears ripe for digital health. Companies from all over the world are looking to enter the market. Last year, Israel-based EarlySense made a deal with Shenzhen Lachesis Mhealth in a move to expand into the Chinese market.
Nonetheless, the trend includes US companies and now there are even programs trying to liaison this connection. In fact, the US-China Health Summit, a Harvard University affiliated program, which includes a startup competition (the US-China Health Summit Innovation Competition) helps link Western health innovators to Chinese resources. The connections include government officials and large hospitals, with some of the countries' largest hospital CEOs judging the competition.
