KIMS Hospital Brings In AI To Spot Stroke

Hyderabad: KIMS Hospitals on Saturday introduced a rapid AI (artificial intelligence) technology for ischemic stroke patients, which will extend the treatment window for brain stroke from the ‘Golden Hour' to a 24-hour ‘Golden Day’ period.

The Rapid AI technology integrates advanced imaging techniques like MRI and CT scans and the software analyzes the images to distinguish between two critical regions: the "core," which represents severely damaged brain tissue, and the "penumbra," the at-risk area that's salvageable.

The Rapid AI also provides clear visualisation of these areas, enabling medical professionals to make informed treatment decisions.

The Rapid AI software, originally developed and tested in the United States, when integrated with MRI images accurately calculates the core and penumbra areas of the brain, providing a comprehensive and precise assessment that enables doctors to perform mechanical thrombectomy, effectively removing the blockage

Speaking about the new technology, Dr Subhash Kaul, senior neurologist, KIMS Hospitals, said, “Ischemic strokes, which account for approximately 80 per cent of all strokes, occur when a blood vessel in the brain becomes blocked, depriving the brain of crucial oxygen. Until now, thrombolytic agents, which can dissolve these clots, are only effective within the first 4.5 hours.”

He said that beyond that timeframe, the treatment's effectiveness decreases, and may even lead to adverse effects. “The latest technology has made it possible to mechanically remove the brain clot for up to 24 hours. However this needs proper selection of patients based on the assessment of already damaged brain tissue and the still undamaged but at risk brain tissue.”

The software can be integrated into various medical centers across the region, following a hub-and-spoke model. Instead of transferring patients, local healthcare providers can transmit MRI images to KIMS for expert evaluation and guidance.

Top Kims Hospitals officials including Dr Bollineni Bhaskar Rao, chairman and managing director; Dr Sambit Sahu, medical director; Dr Manas Kumar Phanigrahi, head of department and senior neurosurgery consultant; Dr Subash Kaul, senior neurologist; Dr Praveen Kumar Yada, consultant neurologist, Dr Antha Ram, head of department and chief of radiology and neuro interventional radiologist participated in the event.