National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) has developed artificial intelligence (AI)-powered software capable of measuring age-related progressive loss of muscle mass (sarcopenia) that it said can serve as an early warning system encouraging patients to seek treatment.
Sarcopenia, a condition usually associated with aging and patients undergoing chemotherapy can increase the likelihood of falls and fractures, but when detected early it can be mitigated through diet and rehabilitation, said Tsai Yi-shan (蔡依珊), director of the clinical innovation and research center at the Tainan-based university.
The Al-powered model is an optimal muscle deficit detection tool for anyone suffering from muscle loss, and it takes information from computed tomography (CT) scans to assess both the quantity and quality of a patient’s muscles to identify muscle deficiency, she said.
Photo: Chen Chia-yi, Taipei Times
In trials it has proven to be highly accurate, Tsai said.
Using a Dice coefficient, a statistical tool that measures similarities between two sets of data, the AI-powered model had a Dice index of 0.94 to 0.95, nearly reaching 1, the highest score, she said.
A score of 1 means the diagnosis of the AI tool would be the same as those from actual measurements, Tsai said, adding that the advantage of the NCKU model is that it generates results about 20 minutes faster than measurements done manually.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare in June granted NCKU a permit to use the AI-powered model commercially, making it the first academic institution to secure a permit to develop AI-related software, and sell it to hospitals and medical institutions.
Tsai said that she hoped the software’s analysis could be provided at no extra cost to cancer patients who have had CT scans because medical institutions can simply feed the CT scan images into the model to get results.
During the three-year period the model’s software needed to mature, four associated patents for the software were granted in Taiwan, and NCKU is applying for patents in the US, Japan and South Korea, among other nations, she said.
NCKU was one of a few academic institutions at a news conference on Tuesday presenting the results obtained under a four-year AI development plan run by the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC).
Another institution that introduced its progress on AI applications was the Chang Gung Medical Foundation.
Foundation physician Kuo Chang-fu (郭昶甫) said the institution has developed a software utilizing AI to assist clinical physicians identify subtle wrist scaphoid fractures.
The software, which has a commercial license, aids in significantly reducing the time patients spend seeking medical attention and the frequency of repeat visits for diagnosis, Kuo said.
It could also be used to support remote medical care, he said.
Since 2020, the NSTC has spearheaded a four-year program to subsidize the development of AI-integrated applications.
The program, which has a budget of NT$2.6 billion (US$81.5 million) and is open to medical groups, has funded nine successful applications in total, including from NCKU, the Chang Gung Medical Foundation and Asia University in Taichung.
Hong Kong-based American singer-songwriter Khalil Fong (方大同) has passed away at the age of 41, Fong’s record label confirmed yesterday. “With unwavering optimism in the face of a relentless illness for five years, Khalil Fong gently and gracefully bid farewell to this world on the morning of February 21, 2025, stepping into the next realm of existence to carry forward his purpose and dreams,” Fu Music wrote on the company’s official Facebook page. “The music and graphic novels he gifted to the world remain an eternal testament to his luminous spirit, a timeless treasure for generations to come,” it said. Although Fong’s
China’s military buildup in the southern portion of the first island chain poses a serious threat to Taiwan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, a defense analyst warned. Writing in a bulletin on the National Defense and Security Research’s Web site on Thursday, Huang Tsung-ting (黃宗鼎) said that China might choke off Taiwan’s energy supply without it. Beginning last year, China entrenched its position in the southern region of the first island chain, often with Russia’s active support, he said. In May of the same year, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) force consisting of a Type 054A destroyer, Type 055 destroyer,
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
Taiwan is planning to expand the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-based X-ray imaging to customs clearance points over the next four years to curb the smuggling of contraband, a Customs Administration official said. The official on condition of anonymity said the plan would cover meat products, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, large bundles of banknotes and certain agricultural produce. Taiwan began using AI image recognition systems in July 2021. This year, generative AI — a subset of AI which uses generative models to produce data — would be used to train AI models to produce realistic X-ray images of contraband, the official
RSS