20 second AI heart tool begins NHS roll-out

A new artificial intelligence (AI) tool that can detect heart disease in record speed, helping to improve care for heart patients, is being rolled out at UCLH.

The first-of-its-kind AI tool, developed by UCL researchers and described in a new paper in the Journal of Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance, analyses heart MRI scans in just 20 seconds whilst the patient is in the scanner.

This compares to the 13 minutes or more it would take for a doctor to manually analyse the images after the scan has been performed. It also detects changes to the heart structure and function with 40 per cent greater precision and extracts more information than a human can.

Each year, around 120,000 heart MRI scans are performed in the UK. The researchers say that the AI will free up valuable time of healthcare professionals – saving around 3,000 clinician days every year – so their attention can be directed to seeing more patients on NHS waiting lists, which will ultimately help with the backlog in vital heart care.

The AI will also give patients and doctors more confidence in the results so that they can make better decisions about a person’s treatment and possible surgeries.

The research was funded by the British Heart Foundation. It was led by Dr Rhodri Davies of UCL Institute of Cardiovascular Science who is supported by the National Institute of Health Research UCLH Biomedical Research Centre.

Dr Davies said: “Our new AI reads complex heart scans in record speed, analysing the structure and function of a patient’s heart with more precision than ever before. The beauty of the technology is that it replaces the need for a doctor to spend countless hours analysing the scans by hand.

“We are continually pushing the technology to ensure it’s the best it can be, so that it can work for any patient with any heart disease. After this initial roll-out on the NHS, we’ll collect the data, and further train and refine the AI so it can be accessible to more heart patients in the UK and across the world.”

The technology is being rolled out at UCLH, Barts Heart Centre at St Bartholomew’s Hospital which is part of Barts Health NHS Trust, and Royal Free Hospital, where it’s now being used on over 140 patients a week.

The scientists and cardiologists who developed the AI are planning to extend the roll-out later this year to 40 locations across the UK and globally.

The technology will improve diagnosis and treatment for many heart conditions. It is designed to diagnose a new heart condition when someone is first assessed for heart disease. It can spot early signs of heart disease - such as after having chemotherapy - which in some cases can cause damage to the heart, and it has the potential to screen for heart conditions in people with a family history of heart disease. The tool also helps doctors to see how patients with heart conditions are responding to their treatment, so they can then make any necessary adjustments.

Image: courtesy of Dr Rhodri Davies.