Bharti Airtel and Apollo Hospitals have carried out India’s first 5G-driven, artificial intelligence (AI) guided colonoscopy trial in collaboration with HealthNet Global, AWS and Avesha. The trial was conducted using AI on Airtel’s 5G technology and led to faster and accurate detection of colon cancer.
The successful AI-assisted colonoscopy polyp detection trial will now help doctors to improve quality of patient care, improve accuracy of detection rates by capturing information correctly, and reducing errors. Technologies like 5G, edge computing and artificial intelligence can significantly improve patient outcomes by assisting in proper and timely diagnoses, Bharti Airtel said in a statement.
Colon cancer is currently detected through colonoscopy procedure, which is manual and requires great attention and time from medical practitioners for accurate detection. The procedure is not only long—with 30 to 40 minutes taken per case—but also discomforting for patients, and for the doctors and nurses. The procedure is being advised for all men and women above 45 years of age for early detection and prevention of cancers. Early detection and removal of polyps can easily avoid them from becoming cancerous.
