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Artificial Intelligence in Medicine Kettering Health Network on the cutting edge of neurological treatment BY BETH L ANGEFELS
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ayton has long been on the cutting edge of innovation. From the Wright Brothers’ first flight to the invention of the cash register the Miami Valley can brag of many “firsts.” Kettering Health Network has been on the forefront of brain and spine treatments for decades. And now its doctors are using artificial intelligence to help reverse disability in stroke patients. Bruce Chan, the executive director of the
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DAYTON MAGAZINE . April/May 2019
Network’s Brain and Spine Service Line says the RAPID™ imaging platform from iSchemaView is a new class of automated brain imaging software that allows doctors to quickly visualize reductions in the blood flow to the brain and target treatment. “If a patient is a candidate for a thrombectomy (blood clot removal) we can use the software to target the clot,” Chan says. “About 80 percent of all stroke patients have ischemic or clot-related strokes.” Chan also says the new software, which was first put into use at Kettering Health Network in October, extends the window
On a weekly basis a group of neurosurgeons, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, nuclear medicine physicians, nurses and advanced practice providers gather together to discuss Kettering Health Network’s current brain tumor cases and collaboratively recommend the best treatment options for each individual case. of treatment up to 24 hours after the onset of stroke symptoms. Previously most “clotbusting” medications were given within 4-5 hours of the last known symptom. “The software takes an image of the brain and calculates the parts of the brain that have been injured versus the parts that have not,” Chan says. “It uses artificial intelligence to allow the physician to gain instant access to the patient’s brain and determine appropriate treatment.” The RAPID systems and software are cutting edge, and have been featured in national publications, including the Wall Street Journal. Chan says it’s important to Kettering Health Network to offer the best care available to patients. “We have already had a few patients who have benefited from this,” Chan says. “It