Google Builds Augmented Reality Microscope to Detect Cancer
Google has shown in the past that a neural network can accelerate diagnosis of cancer in digital images, but most pathologists are using compound light microscopes to examine slides. The solution was the Augmented Reality Microscope. With this system, Google’s AI sees an image in the microscope in real time along with the doctor. Then, it overlays analysis on top of that image.
The first piece of the puzzle was getting a neural network trained on what is and is not cancer. This is another convolutional neural network like the one used to isolate voicesand spot planets. Working with pathologists, Google Research accumulated thousands of histological images. The result was a pair of cancer detection algorithms: one detects breast cancer metastases in lymph nodes, and the other spots prostate cancer. They work at magnifications between 4x and 40x.
The goal is not to replace the pathologist — you probably don’t want to trust your entire cancer screening to a machine just yet. That’s why the neural network is tied to the ARM system. It’s like an instant second opinion.
See the full story here: https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/267614-google-builds-augmented-reality-microscope-to-detect-cancer