Medlab Middle East 2024 to Address Transformative Potential of Artificial Intelligence

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 29 Jan 2024

The global healthcare industry is increasingly embracing Artificial Intelligence (AI) to drive scientific breakthroughs, create new treatments, and enhance health outcomes for a wide range of medical conditions. Medlab Middle East, an event organized by Informa Markets Healthcare (London, UK), is set to explore AI's crucial role in laboratories. Experts will converge for the 23rd edition of Medlab Middle East from February 5-8 at the Dubai World Trade Centre where the focus will be on revolutionizing laboratory medicine and introducing sustainable solutions. A new show vertical, in partnership with Express Med Diagnostics and Research (Manama, Bahrain), will spotlight Next Generation medicine, featuring product categories like technology, innovation, general services, imaging, infrastructure, IT, laboratory, medical equipment, pharma, and nutrition.

AI's application in medical imaging is witnessing an increase in the UAE, bolstered by several government initiatives. In Dubai, healthcare organizations are effectively utilizing AI for medical imaging, including automated detection of breast cancer and lung diseases. Saudi Arabia recently introduced the country's first AI-powered eye screening tests for diabetic retinopathy, enhancing diagnostic accuracy and efficiency. AI is also expediting the discovery of new medicines in the region by simulating trial-and-error processes in a computer to determine optimal drug compositions. In October 2023, the UAE launched its first Centre for Excellence (COE) in AI, providing services like an organ donation and transplant center. This facility leverages AI to match donors with patients and prioritize urgent cases, both domestically and internationally. The Centre is also planning to deploy AI for analyzing radiological scans, aiming to improve diagnostic efficiency. An AI lab is expected to launch soon at the Centre.

Image: The transformative potential of AI will be addressed at Medlab Middle East (Photo courtesy of Informa Markets)

Professor Hassan Ugail, Director of the Centre for Visual Computing and Intelligent Systems at the University of Bradford (Bradford, UK), is scheduled to speak at Medlab Middle East as part of the ‘Digitalization, Automation and Innovation’ session, on the second day of the NextGen Conference. Professor Ugail has been responsible for leading the development of a pioneering AI tool called “OrQA” (Organ Quality Assessment), which examines the quality of human organs for transplantation. Time is a critical factor when it comes to evaluating organs for transplantation. OrQA can provide detailed and reliable analysis in just seconds. The AI method uses a scoring system to grade an organ between zero and five, with organs that score below four, being suitable for use. There are plans to take the tool worldwide in the coming year.

“We use state-of-the-art artificial intelligence techniques to train a machine learning algorithm and worked with a number of surgeons to ‘score’ a range of organs. The machine then learns about the scores, alongside other characteristics such as the color, texture and shape of the organ,” said Professor Ugail. “Traditionally when an organ becomes available for transplantation, you need to gather experts as quickly as possible for an assessment. With OrQA, an image of that organ can be uploaded and it will quickly provide a score. It is an excellent application of AI for real healthcare use and helps surgeons to make the best possible decisions in the quickest possible time.”

“The integration of AI into laboratory practices is already redefining the landscape of scientific discovery and driving innovation in healthcare. In the years to come, the need for AI in medical imaging will continue to grow,” added Tom Coleman, Exhibition Director, Informa Markets Healthcare. “AI technologies are able to process and analyze data more quickly and accurately leading to new insights in various realms of study, and we are excited to spotlight this exciting field of healthcare at Medlab Middle East.”