CALOPUS - Computer Assisted LOw-cost Point-of-care UltraSound

CALOPUS项目是英国和印度的跨学科合作，旨在自动化产前超声图像的分析，以促进转诊到农村地区适当水平的妊娠护理，这是许多LMIC尚未满足的重要需求。与西方世界不同，印度的许多女性在怀孕的第一或第二个月没有进行产前超声波检查。如果没有这样的检查，胎儿和母亲的健康问题可能会被忽视，在最糟糕的情况下，会导致死产或早产。印度是世界上死产和早产最多的国家(《柳叶刀》2012年2月15日)。因此，推动这项工作的最终临床目标是减轻不良妊娠事件的负担，并改善子孙后代的健康。我们正在采取的方法是使用一种低成本的便携式成像技术-超声成像，作为新型护理点(POC)系统的基础，该系统使有限或不了解超声波的医护人员能够将患者转介到临床单位或医院。超声波扫描通常需要技能来获取图像，这是使用的障碍。我们的想法是将超声视频的捕获与机器学习(深度学习)相结合，自动解释超声视频的内容，并向非专家用户进行推荐。这个项目探索我们如何做到这一点，以及我们如何使技术解决方案在文化上可接受，并在预期的临床环境中使用。除了主要的科学努力外，一个重要的次要目标将是印度合作伙伴团队在护理点成像方面的能力建设，以及对英国研究人员在健康(特别是与医疗保健技术需求和采用相关的因素)以及在低中等收入国家发挥作用的研究和文化问题方面的反指导。这种交叉对话将加强国际团队，建立相互尊重和互补的专业知识。

The CALOPUS project is an inter-disciplinary UK-India collaboration that aims to automate the analysis of antenatal ultrasound images to facilitate referral to the appropriate level of pregnancy care in rural settings, an important unmet need in many LMICs. Unlike in the western world, many women in India do not have an antenatal ultrasound check-up scan in the first or second trimester. Without such a check-up, health problems of the fetus and mother can go unnoticed, leading, in the worst case, to a still-birth or preterm birth. India has the highest number of still births and preterm births in the world (Lancet 2O15, 2012). Thus the ultimate clinical aim motivating this work is to reduce the burden of adverse pregnancy events and improve the health of future generations. The approach we are taking is to use a low-cost portable imaging technology, ultrasound imaging, as the basis for a novel point-of-care (POC) system that enables a healthcare worker, with limited or no knowledge of ultrasound, to refer a patient to a clinical unit or hospital. Ultrasound scanning normally requires skill to acquire images which is a barrier to use. Our idea is to combine capture of ultrasound videos with machine learning (deep learning) to automatically interpret the content of the ultrasound videos and make the recommendation to the non-expert user. This project explores how we can do this, and will look, as well, at how we can make the technological solution culturally acceptable, and usable in the intended clinical environment. In addition to the primary scientific endeavour, an important secondary objective will be capacity-building in point-of-care imaging in the India partner team and counter-mentoring of UK investigators in health (particularly in factors related to healthcare technology needs and adoption), and research and cultural issues that are at play in LMICs. This cross-dialogue will strengthen the international team and build mutual respect and complementary expertise.