Google tests handheld AI-assisted ultrasound machines in Kenya
Kenya is one of only two countries in the world where Google is currently testing its AI-powered healthcare solutions, as part of the tech giant's innovation initiatives.
Google is testing its AI-assisted ultrasound technology gadgets in hospitals across Kenya as part of a research project aimed at improving maternal health in the country.
Ultrasound is a medical imaging technology used to check internal organs mostly in prenatal care to check the health, gender, and general progress of unborn babies.
However, in Kenya, only about 16 percent of pregnant women have access to the services.
“To address this gap, Jacaranda Health is collaborating with Google on an eight-month research project to explore how AI tools can support point-of-care ultrasound delivery in Kenya,” Google said in a new report.
The new devices, currently being tried in different maternity clinics and hospitals across Kenya, are much smaller than traditional ultrasound machines, making them cheaper and more energy efficient.
Their software is also artificial intelligent enabled, having been trained on thousands of foetal and breast images, improving their ability to accurately detect anomalies in sonograms.
“These devices, enhanced by AI technology, simplify the process of acquiring and interpreting ultrasound images, allowing nurses and technicians to perform examinations without extensive training,” said Google in the report.
If the eight-month trial proves successful, Google is set to deploy more of those devices in Kenya and around, improving their supply and generally bettering the quality and reach of antenatal care in the country.
Kenya is one of only two countries around the globe in which Google is currently testing its AI-enabled solutions in healthcare, as part of the tech company’s innovation initiatives.
The other is Taiwan, where Google is testing AI-enabled mammograms or breast ultrasound machines, in a bid to improve early detection and treatment of breast cancer and other anomalies.
Nairobi is also home to one of only two of Google’s AI research centres in Africa, the other being in Accra, Ghana, highlighting the country’s significance in fostering the continent’s growing innovation in the sector.
The new report done in partnership with London-based research firm Public First estimates that AI technologies could increase the economy of sub-Saharan Africa by over $30 billion (Sh3.9 trillion).
