With the new Google Augmented Reality technology applied to a microscope , cancer cells can be detected more precisely and quickly. The microscope allows real time image analysis and feeds the data to the machine learning algorithms which in turn determine whether the cells are cancerous or not.
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Cancer as we all know is a life-threatening disease, even though there has been a rise in the survival rates , detection of cancer cells in itself is a very daunting task and requires lot of time and patience . Google’s ARM platform allows pathologists access to machine learning, currently the microscope can detect cells of both breast and prostate cancer.
The microscope consists of a special module which contains a beam splitter which intercepts part of a beam coming from the tissue slides under examination and directs the beam to another port where the camera is located. The camera in turn captures the data and transfers it to a computer running the machine learning algorithms which produces an outline around the tissues which are susceptible to cancer. Finally , the computer feeds that information back to the microdisplay section of the microscope using a video cable, this digital projection is superimposed on the original image to help the pathologists investigate the data efficiently
All the training data was provided by the pathologists to teach the computer what cancer cells looked like. Google is still working to widen the scope of its microscope to identify other diseases like tuberculosis and malaria. This technology will save doctors time which is going to overall benefit the patient. Time has come when AR is not just limited to gaming and entertainment but also has a wide scope in medical field.
