A group of Grade 11 students from Quezon City Science High School has developed an AI-powered software called “Pintig,” which can accurately detect plaque buildup in the heart, potentially revolutionizing cardiovascular disease diagnosis.
“Pintig,” which means “heartbeat” in Filipino, uses machine learning algorithms to analyze CT scan images of the heart and identify atherosclerotic plaques, or fatty deposits that can clog arteries.
According to Kenzo Miguel Tayko, one of the developers, heart disease is usually detected only in its advanced stages, making it difficult to mitigate and often requiring invasive surgeries that can damage the patient and incur significant costs.
Pintig offers a non-invasive and potentially more accurate method of diagnosis by analyzing images at a microscopic level, detecting minute details that may be missed by human observation. The students trained the software on a vast dataset of 14,000 CT scan images from about 200 patients, achieving an impressive 98% accuracy in plaque detection.
The development of Pintig has received a lot of attention, with the student team winning first place in the Robotics and Intelligent Machines category at a recent regional science and technology fair.
The software will undergo thorough clinical trials with the Philippine Heart Center to improve its accuracy and ensure it is safe and effective for use in clinical settings.
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