--Compared to the vision you have in mind, what level has the project reached at this stage?
Dr. Fujiu: Ultimately, we want to get to the point where we can provide full support to outpatient and medical checkup physicians, and we are just getting started, really. These doctors make decisions based on a synthesis of multiple pieces of information, including blood samples and X-rays, and the ECG is only one of these. While these tests provide a certain degree of accuracy, with more information, physicians can be more precise in their judgments.
Kadooka: Speaking as an engineer, I would say that the achievement rate is about 10%. I am careful with electrocardiograms, but I can only take measurements with the 12-lead electrocardiogram (*4) that I am currently working on while the patient is lying in bed in a hospital in a resting state. In contrast, wearable devices, such as smartwatches and wearable patches, can record ECGs 24 hours a day regardless of what a person is doing – providing they are wearing it. If we adopt this technology, we can even predict cardiac diseases, and I would very much like to work with Dr. Fujiu to make this a reality.
Umeda: If the work of our predecessors was equivalent to reaching the fifth station of Mount Fuji, I feel that we have finally moved on from there! As for improving accuracy, there are still many things to be done, such as visualizing the characteristics of the ECGs that are only visible to the AI currently.
(*4) Examination with a total of 10 electrodes at six locations on the chest and both wrists and ankles to obtain 12 waveforms.
--Finally, what are your thoughts on the benefits of AI for the world beyond this project?
Dr. Fujiu: One example of medical-engineering collaboration (*5) is large overseas hospitals with engineers on their staff who are available to cooperate with doctors. The University of Tokyo Hospital has also started a Biodesign program in partnership with Stanford University to train personnel to lead innovation in medical devices. As a result, I would like to think about AI in home healthcare and how that can connect with hospitals in the future.
I would also like to increase Japan’s global presence in the field of AI medical applications and focus on software for the individualized treatment of an individual so that we can at least be the leader in Asia.
Kadooka: I could have heart disease in the future. For example, when I am retired, I might have a checkup at the hospital, and the doctor might say, “The AI has shown that you are at a high risk for heart disease.” Then, I simply nod in agreement and follow the doctor’s instructions. I dream that the AI in my example is the one we are developing now, and I hope that, should such a scene materialize, my heart disease will be detected at an early stage so I can avoid serious illness. To make this scenario a reality, engineers need to know about medicine. We hold study sessions within the development team to ensure they have the knowledge necessary for conversations with doctors. I also believe that engineers in the medical field will fulfil unmet needs by seeing things through different eyes from doctors. I intend to be actively involved in enabling this so that society can benefit from this additional expertise.
Umeda: AI must be made easier to understand for people in the medical field. I would like to create a virtuous cycle in which the evolution of AI leads to the evolution of medical care, which, in turn, leads to the further development of AI and so on. In fact, this project has the potential, and we are determined to set a firm course to achieve it.
(*5) Medicine and engineering, which are academically related, should cooperate to solve problems
