Computer Algorithms Automatically Detect Malaria in Stained Blood Smears
|
By LabMedica International staff writers Posted on 10 Aug 2015 |
|
Image: The Parasight platform: computer vision technology scans stained blood samples under a fluorescent microscope and detects the presence of malaria parasites in blood cells (Photo courtesy of Sight Diagnostics).
An Israeli startup company has developed a computerized platform that detects anomalies in stained blood cell samples—such as those infected by the malaria parasite—faster and more accurately than the human eye.
Sight Diagnostics or SightDx (Jerusalem, Israel) was initiated in 2011 with six million USD obtained from crowd funding and several innovation investors. This funding was used by a team comprising biologists, software experts, and engineers to develop vision-based algorithms to scan and analyze blood. Analysis was based on visible characteristics such as size, shape, fluorescence intensity, and morphology.
The algorithms were set to function within SightDx's Parasight platform, a high throughput instrument suitable for batch (up to 30 samples) and asynchronous loading. It was designed to be fully automated, simple to operate, and optimized for rapid testing and analysis.
The Parasight platform consists of a scanning and analyzing device as well as a sample preparation kit containing custom-built disposable plastic cartridges to create an efficient, standardized, and uniform version of the “thin blood smear”, that is easy to prepare within 15 seconds. These cartridges require only a small drop of blood that can be obtained with a finger-stick or from a tube. Parasight reports, in under three minutes, the diagnosis (Positive/Negative), parasitemia count (number of parasites per microliter), and speciation (determination of the specific species of malaria). Results are automatically transferred to the laboratory information system.
Trials using Parasight were conducted in several hospitals in India, South Africa, and France. Results showed that it was 99% accurate in sensitivity and 98% in specificity as compared to results of about 95% for human microscopists.
“Essentially, you try to do what the human eye does,” said Joseph Joel Pollak, CEO of Sight Diagnostics. “Computer vision-based devices have a camera, and the camera takes pictures of the blood. Then, algorithms analyze the scene.”
Related Links:
Sight Diagnostics
 assay.jpg)
Sight Diagnostics or SightDx (Jerusalem, Israel) was initiated in 2011 with six million USD obtained from crowd funding and several innovation investors. This funding was used by a team comprising biologists, software experts, and engineers to develop vision-based algorithms to scan and analyze blood. Analysis was based on visible characteristics such as size, shape, fluorescence intensity, and morphology.
The algorithms were set to function within SightDx's Parasight platform, a high throughput instrument suitable for batch (up to 30 samples) and asynchronous loading. It was designed to be fully automated, simple to operate, and optimized for rapid testing and analysis.
The Parasight platform consists of a scanning and analyzing device as well as a sample preparation kit containing custom-built disposable plastic cartridges to create an efficient, standardized, and uniform version of the “thin blood smear”, that is easy to prepare within 15 seconds. These cartridges require only a small drop of blood that can be obtained with a finger-stick or from a tube. Parasight reports, in under three minutes, the diagnosis (Positive/Negative), parasitemia count (number of parasites per microliter), and speciation (determination of the specific species of malaria). Results are automatically transferred to the laboratory information system.
Trials using Parasight were conducted in several hospitals in India, South Africa, and France. Results showed that it was 99% accurate in sensitivity and 98% in specificity as compared to results of about 95% for human microscopists.
“Essentially, you try to do what the human eye does,” said Joseph Joel Pollak, CEO of Sight Diagnostics. “Computer vision-based devices have a camera, and the camera takes pictures of the blood. Then, algorithms analyze the scene.”
Related Links:
Sight Diagnostics
New
Gold Member
Ketosis and DKA Test
D-3-Hydroxybutyrate (Ranbut) Assay
Gold Member
Automatic Hematology Analyzer
DH-800 Series
Gold Member
Cardiovascular Risk Test
Metabolic Syndrome Array I & II
Latest Microbiology News
- 15-Minute Blood Test Diagnoses Life-Threatening Infections in Children
- High-Throughput Enteric Panels Detect Multiple GI Bacterial Infections from Single Stool Swab Sample
- Fast Noninvasive Bedside Test Uses Sugar Fingerprint to Detect Fungal Infections
- Rapid Sepsis Diagnostic Device to Enable Personalized Critical Care for ICU Patients
- Microfluidic Platform Assesses Neutrophil Function in Sepsis Patients
- New Diagnostic Method Confirms Sepsis Infections Earlier
- New Markers Could Predict Risk of Severe Chlamydia Infection
- Portable Spectroscopy Rapidly and Noninvasively Detects Bacterial Species in Vaginal Fluid
- CRISPR-Based Saliva Test Detects Tuberculosis Directly from Sputum
- Urine-Based Assay Diagnoses Common Lung Infection in Immunocompromised People
- Saliva Test Detects Implant-Related Microbial Risks
- New Platform Leverages AI and Quantum Computing to Predict Salmonella Antimicrobial Resistance
- Early Detection of Gut Microbiota Metabolite Linked to Atherosclerosis Could Revolutionize Diagnosis
- Viral Load Tests Can Help Predict Mpox Severity
- Gut Microbiota Analysis Enables Early and Non-Invasive Detection of Gestational Diabetes
- Credit Card-Sized Test Boosts TB Detection in HIV Hotspots
Channels
Clinical Chemistry
view channel
VOCs Show Promise for Early Multi-Cancer Detection
Early cancer detection is critical to improving survival rates, but most current screening methods focus on individual cancer types and often involve invasive procedures. This makes it difficult to identify... Read more
Portable Raman Spectroscopy Offers Cost-Effective Kidney Disease Diagnosis at POC
Kidney disease is typically diagnosed through blood or urine tests, often when patients present with symptoms such as blood in urine, shortness of breath, or weight loss. While these tests are common,... Read more
Molecular Diagnostics
view channel
New Biomarker Panel to Improve Heart Failure Diagnosis in Women
Heart failure affects millions worldwide, yet many women are still misdiagnosed or diagnosed too late. Although heart failure broadly means the heart cannot pump enough blood to the body’s cells, its two... Read more
Dual Blood Biomarkers Improve ALS Diagnostic Accuracy
Diagnosing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) remains difficult even with advanced imaging and genetic tools, especially when clinicians must distinguish it from other neurodegenerative conditions that... Read more
Hematology
view channel
ADLM’s New Coagulation Testing Guidance to Improve Care for Patients on Blood Thinners
Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) are one of the most common types of blood thinners. Patients take them to prevent a host of complications that could arise from blood clotting, including stroke, deep... Read more
Viscoelastic Testing Could Improve Treatment of Maternal Hemorrhage
Postpartum hemorrhage, severe bleeding after childbirth, remains one of the leading causes of maternal mortality worldwide, yet many of these deaths are preventable. Standard care can be hindered by delays... Read more
Pioneering Model Measures Radiation Exposure in Blood for Precise Cancer Treatments
Scientists have long focused on protecting organs near tumors during radiotherapy, but blood — a vital, circulating tissue — has largely been excluded from dose calculations. Each blood cell passing through... Read more
Immunology
view channel
Chip Captures Cancer Cells from Blood to Help Select Right Breast Cancer Treatment
Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) accounts for about a quarter of all breast cancer cases and generally carries a good prognosis. This non-invasive form of the disease may or may not become life-threatening.... Read more
Blood-Based Liquid Biopsy Model Analyzes Immunotherapy Effectiveness
Immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer care by harnessing the immune system to fight tumors, yet predicting who will benefit remains a major challenge. Many patients undergo costly and taxing treatment... Read more
Pathology
view channel
AI Tool Improves Accuracy of Skin Cancer Detection
Diagnosing melanoma accurately in people with darker skin remains a longstanding challenge. Many existing artificial intelligence (AI) tools detect skin cancer more reliably in lighter skin tones, often... Read more
Highly Sensitive Imaging Technique Detects Myelin Damage
Damage to myelin—the insulating layer that helps brain cells function efficiently—is a hallmark of many neurodegenerative diseases, age-related decline, and traumatic injuries. However, studying this damage... Read more
Technology
view channel
Portable Biosensor Diagnoses Psychiatric Disorders Using Saliva Samples
Early diagnosis of psychiatric disorders such as depression, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder remains one of medicine’s most pressing challenges. Current diagnostic methods rely heavily on clinical... Read more
Cell-Sorting Device Uses Electromagnetic Levitation to Precisely Direct Cell Movement
Sorting different cell types—such as cancerous versus healthy or live versus dead cells—is a critical task in biology and medicine. However, conventional methods often require labeling, chemical exposure,... Read more
Industry
view channel
Co-Diagnostics Forms New Business Unit to Develop AI-Powered Diagnostics
Co-Diagnostics, Inc. (Salt Lake City, UT, USA) has formed a new artificial intelligence (AI) business unit to integrate the company's existing and planned AI applications into its Co-Dx Primer Ai platform.... Read more
