The Singularity » ann http://singularity.org Asymptote Now Thu, 24 Jun 2010 18:58:42 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Artificial Intelligence Helps Diagnose Cardiac Infections http://singularity.org/2009/09/28/artificial-intelligence-helps-diagnose-cardiac-infections/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=artificial-intelligence-helps-diagnose-cardiac-infections http://singularity.org/2009/09/28/artificial-intelligence-helps-diagnose-cardiac-infections/#comments Tue, 29 Sep 2009 04:03:02 +0000 admin http://singularity.org/?p=224

Endocarditis — an infection involving the valves and sometimes chambers of the heart — can be a problem in patients with implanted medical devices. It is serious and can be deadly. The mortality rate can be as high as one in five, even with aggressive treatment and removal of the device. With additional complications, the mortality could be over 60 percent. Diagnosis usually requires transesophageal echocardiography, an invasive procedure that also has risks. It involves use of an endoscope and insertion of a probe down the esophagus.

The software program is called an “artificial neural network” (ANN) because it mimics the brain’s cognitive function and reacts differently to situations depending on its accumulated knowledge. That knowledge or training is provided by researchers, similar to how a person would “train” a computer to play chess, by introducing it to as many situations as possible. In this case, the ANN underwent three separate “trainings” to learn how to evaluate the symptoms it would be considering.

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