Physicians attend an ultrasound training at Soroka University Medical Center. (photo credit: COURTESY RAHEL DAVID FOR BGU)

A recent breakthrough in the growing field of artificial intelligence at Weizmannn Institute will save lives by eliminating reliance on human skill in diagnosing cardiac conditions.

The new Al initiative, developed by Professor Yaron Lipman and his colleagues at the NYU School of Medicine, is an automated process that guides ultrasound technicians performing echo-cardiograms to interpret the results in real time with improved accuracy.

Echo-cardiograms use ultrasound waves to evaluate heart function. Ultrasound technicians undergo hours of training and require years of practice to ensure that they are interpreting the results correctly. In other words, the results of an echo-cardiogram are heavily "operator dependent" - they are as accurate as the person performing the test.

The new Al technique eliminates the echo-cardiogram's reliance on human skill by enabling the echo-cardiogram machine to rapidly absorb huge amounts of data.

The initiative is already gaining recognition in the medical field for generating accurate results that closely match the insights of human technicians, according to Dave Doneson, CEO of Weizmann's American Committee.

The technique will be used in emergency and urgent care settings, and Weizmann anticipates that the technology will eventually be used in nursing homes, sports centers and ambulances.

Weizmann also hopes to be able to provide the Al technique to developing nations, where there is an acute lack of experienced ultrasound technicians.

Weizmann in Focus - Episode One from Weizmann USA on Vimeo.