Deep Learning Speeds Diagnosis of Kids’ Growth Problems

[HardOCP News]

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital’s new Clinical Data Science Center are testing an automated bone-age analyzer they’ve created. It speeds diagnosis of children’s growth problems and is nearly as accurate as human radiologists. Set to begin clinical trials soon, the automated analyzer would assist radiologists rather than replace them, said Synho Do, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School who leads the research team. “Growth can be a general metric for a child’s health,” said Mark Michalski, director of Mass General’s data science center. (NVIDIA is a founding partner of the center.) When a child’s growth is delayed or accelerated, the bone age test can tell doctors whether the cause is simply a family pattern or an indication of a chronic disease, endocrine disorder or genetic problem.