Scientists at a Paisley university campus are at the forefront of developments in new cutting-edge technology set to help medics in the battle against Covid-19.
Experts at the University of the West of Scotland (UWS) are the brains behind pioneering Artificial Intelligence capable of accurately diagnosing sufferers of Coronavirus in minutes.
The ground-breaking programme can make the diagnosis in a much shorter timeframe than the current PCR testing method - which takes around two hours to return results.
Hopes are high that the technology can help relieve strain on hard-pressed Accident and Emergency departments, particularly in countries where testing is not readily available.
Don't miss the latest headlines from around Renfrewshire. Sign up to our newsletters here.
X-ray technology is used to compare scans to a database of around 3,000 images generated from covid-suffering patients, healthy individuals and patients with viral pneumonia.
AI processes, known as deep convolutional neural network processing, an algorithm used to analyse visual imagery, are then used to make a diagnosis.
The method proved to be more than 98 per cent accurate during testing.
Professor Naeem Ramzan, Director of the Affective and Human Computing for SMART Environments Research Centre at UWS, led the three-person team behind the project, which included Gabriel Okolo and Dr Stamos Katsigiannis.
The Professor said: "There has long been a need for a quick and reliable tool that can detect Covid-19, and this has become even more true with the upswing of the Omicron variant.
"Several countries are unable to carry out large numbers of covid tests because of limited diagnosis tools, but this technique utilises easily accessible technology to quickly detect the virus."
He added: "Covid-19 symptoms are not visible in X-rays during the early stages of infection, so it is important to note that the technology cannot fully replace PCR tests. However, it can still play an important role in curtailing the viruses spread especially when PCR tests are not readily available.
"It could prove to be crucial, and potentially life-saving, when diagnosing severe cases of the virus, helping determine what treatment may be required."
The technology has been branded "game-changing" by the university's Vice-Principal of Research, Innovation and Engagement, Professor Milan Radosavljevid, who said: "This is potentially game-changing research. It’s another example of the purposeful, impactful work that has gone on at UWS throughout the pandemic, making a genuine difference in the fight against Covid-19."
The team now plans to expand the study, incorporating a greater database of x-ray images acquired by different types of X-ray machines, to evaluate the suitability of the approach in a clinical setting.
Download the FREE Renfrewshire Live app now for all the latest news, features and sport: smarturl.it/RenfrewLiveSocial
