New research project for the in vitro diagnosis of asthma
Can a computer learn to diagnose asthma by using blood cell movement patterns?
The AG Cell Technology has developed in recent years algorithms that allow identification and tracking of cells by automated microscopy.
The image series obtained enable a high-content analysis, as various parameters of the cells can be analyzed. Tracking the cells for extended periods of time provides data on cell proliferation, mitosis frequency, cell lifetime distribution and much more.
Now a cooperation project of the three partner Pattern Recognition Company , Raytrix GmbH and Fraunhofer EMB starts, which was funded by the state of Schleswig-Holstein. Within the three-year research project, the cell tracking methods will be transferred to the analysis of blood cells and used for the in-vitro diagnosis of asthma.
It is already known that in asthma patients, the movement profile of their blood cells differs from the profiles of healthy people. Self-learning algorithms that allow a deep analysis of blood cell movement patterns are used to capture these differences. The computer learns to differentiate the profiles of asthma sufferers from those of the healthy and to determine a diagnostic index from unknown patient samples.
The aim is to develop a diagnostic method that can be used quickly and easily to detect asthma early and especially in children. At the same time, the method can be used to monitor the therapy and to optimize the dose of drugs used.