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Development of AI Medical Devices to Support the Diagnosis of Infectious Diseases

At Aillis, we are currently working on the development of a novel testing method that uses image diagnosing technology based on the images of the pharynx and assists the diagnosis of infectious diseases.

Development of a Camera Specialized for Capturing Pharyngeal Images

One of the things that doctors work on based on their years of experience is the examination of pharynx. Since throat can be examined by doctor's eyes, it has not been imaged the same as the gastroscope and intestinal camera. In addition, it is difficult to take pictures of the throat using a camera on such as a smart phone, as those pictures get affected by the reflection of the teeth and tongue and becomes hard to maintain the color and brightness. Furthermore, there are also issues in terms of hygiene and safety as well.

At Aillis, we first developed a camera that specializes in taking pictures of the throat. We are now collecting and accumulating images of the throat that can be analyzed in-house, which will lead to the development of AI image diagnosis.

Image Diagnosing Technology to Identify one's Infectious Disease from his Pharyngeal Images

For example, in the case of influenza, a swelling called an influenza follicle will form in the throat. However, not only the flu, but many colds and even completely healthy people have similar swellings in the back of the throat. Only a master physician can identify an influenza follicle from the combination of various characteristics such as surface color, glossiness, size, and elevation.
We are using the AI technology to imitate and reproduce this "professional's eyes" and other doctor's techniques for decision-making.

Building a Database of Infectious Diseases and Solving Further Social Issues

Aillis has already built a database of 500,000 pharyngeal images of infectious diseases with the cooperation of about 100 medical institutions and a total of 10,000 patients. This database will be used to expand the range of infectious diseases for which we can provide diagnostic support, starting with influenza. Furthermore, the accumulated data will become a source for solving social issues through epidemic forecasting projects in cooperation with the national and local governments, and infection control projects in collaboration with companies and medical associations.