Alibaba DAMO is using the latest AI technology to facilitate a major technical challenge for a joint surgery, July 9, 2020. (Photo provided to Xinhua)

AI assists orthopedic doctors to locate surgical position

Alibaba DAMO Academy on Thursday announced the latest research results of an AI-assisted orthopaedic joint replacement surgery, which set a record in locating the surgical position within 0.3 seconds without manual operations by doctors.

Compared with former AI-assisted orthopedic surgeries, the accuracy has been improved by more than 2.3 percent, according to the scientific research arm of Alibaba, which is based in Hangzhou, capital of east China’s Zhejiang Province.

The academy said the research result has been accepted by the 23rd International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer-Assisted Intervention.

Chi Ying, head of the medical AI department at the academy, said the integration of AI and medical treatment is an irresistable trend, especially in the field of imaging, in which AI is surpassing human beings in a number of specific directions and fields, and assisting doctors to improve the efficiency of diagnosis and treatment.

Chi said the technology will soon be put into use at hospitals.

During the novel coronavirus disease epidemic, CT imaging AI, full-gene analysis AI, and other technologies developed by the academy have been put into use in more than 620 medical institutions around the world.