CC BY
10Central Asian Journal of Medical Hypotheses and Ethics
2021; Vol 2 (1)
© 2021 by the authors. This work is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
eISSN: 2708-9800 https://doi.org/10.47316/cajmhe.20212.109
CORRESPONDENCE
RESEARCH DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC: THE USE OF CLOUD-BASED
IMAGE ANALYSIS
Received: Jan. 29, 2021 Accepted: Feb. 15, 2021
»¡Ki1-2*
Reza Pin1-2" https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6379-3373
Amalie Horstmann Noddeskou-Fink1 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7431-8597 Poul Flemming Hoilund-Carlsen1'2 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7420-2367 department of Nuclear Medicine, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark
2Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
"Corresponding author:
Reza Piri, MD, PhD candidate, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark Twitter handle: @RezaPiri_; E-mail: dr.reza.piri@gmail.com
Keywords: Research, Methodology, Image analysis, PET/CT
How to cite: Piri R, Noddeskou-Fink AH, Hoilund-Carlsen PF. Research during the COVID-19 pandemic: the use
of cloud-based image analysis. Cent https://doi.org/10.47316/cajmhe.2021.2.1.09
Asian J Med Hypotheses Ethics 2021;2(1):59-61.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected most aspects of our lives, no matter where we live or what we do. We all have tried to cope with this condition in our own way. The current situation provides an opportunity to test and use some instruments that have been overlooked for a while. In medical research and clinical practice, we have implemented new online tools and platforms which have not been part of our daily routine. Such unconventional approaches may encounter resistance of specialists with interest in organ-specific disciplines such as cardiology and rheumatology. Traditional and alternative metrics of research evaluation are required for better understanding implications of such approaches [1-3].
Our Cardiovascular Research Group at the Department of Nuclear Medicine, Odense University Hospital, Odense, Denmark, has tried to use existing facilities to enhance performance of our research field despite the challenges posed by the pandemic. Cloud-based image analysis is the method that we decided to experiment with. Computer software for advanced image analysis have been precious assets of various research groups because of their high processing power. There is, however, scarcity of such software and these are not
affordable for most, particularly for dynamically developing research groups. Most research groups prefer to use freely available or modified online tools, meeting their specific needs. The modification by own resources is often time-consuming and far from perfection, preventing from offering a universally applicable tool. Also, hospital computers are usually stationary with limited accessibility. By introducing cloud-based image analysis [4, 5], we have been able to overcome these limitations. And we can now perform, for example, an advanced image analysis of positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) by using an ordinary computer without extraordinary processing power, anywhere during the lockdown and quarantine.
Another tool that we have been using to overcome these limitations is artificial intelligence model analyzing molecular imaging scans obtained by PET/CT. The analysis of these digitalized scans with gigabytes of information is often the most time-consuming phase of our research. With the utilization of artificial intelligence model, we can analyze images with better reproducibility and 50-100 times faster than with ordinary manual or
semiautomated processing tools. We plan to develop different artificial intelligence models to better visualize anatomic structures of vessels in different locations. Cloud-based and artificial intelligence methods have enriched our research, allowing to cope with the pandemic-related issues and plan our activities beyond the pandemic. Our experience is exemplary for those
who encounter difficulties with performing clinical research during the lockdown and quarantine.
CONFLICTS OF INTEREST
The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest relevant to this manuscript.
REFERENCES
1. Gong M, Liu L, Sun X, et al. Cloud-based system for effective surveillance and control of COVID-19: useful experiences from Hubei, China. J Med Internet Res 2020;22(4):e18948.
2. Yessirkepov M, Zimba O, Gasparyan AY. Emerging online tools and platforms for scholarly activities. Cent Asian J Med Hypotheses Ethics. 2020;1(2):112-117.
3. DeAtkine AB, Grayson JW, Singh NP, et al. # ENT: Otolaryngology Residency Programs Create Social Media Platforms to Connect With Applicants During COVID-19 Pandemic. Ear Nose Throat J 2020; 145561320983205.
4. Tragardh E, Borrelli P, Kaboteh R, et al. RECOMIA—a cloud-based platform for artificial intelligence research in nuclear medicine and radiology. EJNMMI Phys 2020;7(1):1-12.
5. Qigek O, Abdulkadir A, Lienkamp SS, Brox T, Ronneberger O, Editors. 3D U-Net: Learning Dense Volumetric Segmentation from Sparse Annotation 2016; Cham: Springer International Publishing.
СОУГО-19 ПАНДЕМИЯСЫ КЕЗ1НДЕ ЗЕРТТЕУЛЕР ЖYРГIЗУ: КЕСК1НД1НЩ Б¥ЛТТЫ
ТАЛДАУЫН ЦОЛДАНУ ТYЙiндi сездер: зерттеу, эдiстеме, бейненi талдау, РЕТ / СТ
Дэйексвз Yшiн: Пири Р., Ноддескоу-Финк А., Хоилунд-Карлсен П. СОУГО-19 пандемиясы кезiнде зерттеулер жYргiзу: кескщдшщ б^лтты талдауын ^олдану. Медициналык; гипотеза мен этиканын Орта Азиялык; журналы. 2021; 2 (1): 59-61. https://doi.Org/10.47316/caimhe.2021.2.1.09
ПРОВЕДЕНИЕ ИССЛЕДОВАНИЙ ВО ВРЕМЯ ПАНДЕМИИ COVID-19: ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЕ
ОБЛАЧНОГО АНАЛИЗА ИЗОБРАЖЕНИЙ Ключевые слова: исследование, методология, анализ изображений, ПЭТ / КТ
Для цитирования: Пири Р., Ноддескоу-Финк А., Хоилунд-Карлсен П. Проведение исследований во время пандемии СОУГО-19: использование облачного анализа изображений. Центральноазиатский журнал медицинских гипотез и этики. 2021; 2 (1): 59-61. https:/ / doi.Org/10.47316/caimhe.2021.2.1.09
