
Bringing deep learning' to the clinic: scientists overcome key barrier to widespread adoption By providing a new level of clarity into how deep learning systems reach their medical diagnoses, scientists hope this AI approach will fuel a new era of preventative medicine.
March 01, 2021
LA JOLLA, CA A team led by scientists at Scripps Research has demonstrated a method for opening the black box of a powerful artificial intelligence technique called deep learning, which holds vast potential for identifying disease earlier than is currently possible. The new method could help unleash deep learning for medical applications such as predicting heart attacks and diagnosing cancers.
The framework we've created enables an in-depth exploration of the deep learning decision-making process, making it more transparent and useful for clinicians, says the studys senior author Giorgio Quer, PhD, senior staff scientist at Scripps Research and director of artificial intelligence at the Scripps Research Translational Institute.
Deep learning networks are software-based, brain-like systems neural networks that can process a large amount of data to recognize patterns, make predictions or otherwise make brain-like decisions. They are considered black boxes because the ways in which they turn their inputs into outputs are often unknown they don't reveal interpretable relationships. That makes deep learning hard to use in real-world settings where, for example, a doctor might need to know why a deep learning system reached an important conclusion such as a disease diagnosis.
In the study, published in the IEEE Journal of Biomedical and Health Informatics, the Scripps Research scientists developed a framework for explaining how deep learning works, and demonstrated this through a deep learning system's identification of a common heart condition called atrial fibrillation.
A case study in heart disease
Atrial fibrillation, often called AFib, is a condition in which the heart sometimes slips into a rapid and dysfunctional rhythm, causing lightheadedness and other symptoms. Four out of every 10 adults over age 55 will develop AFib in their lifetime. Most critically, AFib promotes the formation of blood clots in the heart, which can break off and cause strokes; people with this condition have five times the normal risk of stroke.
Yet, for many patients AFib flares up only occasionally, making it hard to detect in routine medical checkups that gather only a brief snapshot of a patient's heartbeat. Quer and colleagues in recent years have shown how wearable medical devices can gather heart-rhythm data for extended periods, and that deep learning can then process the vast datasets to detect AFib (read the 2019 study).
This proposed method would offer improved diagnostic accuracy over traditional models and could save lives by spotting disease earlier. But the opacity of deep learning has remained a hurdle to clinical adoption of this approach.
Evoking transparency
In the new study, Quer and colleagues created a way to analyze how deep learning makes its decisions in a medical diagnostic context. Then, they applied this framework to the deep learning system they developed for AFib. Their method included subtracting or otherwise varying the input data to see how those changes altered the deep learning network's decision. The result was a comprehensive picture of how deep learning works in this instance, showing how its recognition of AFib depends on key clinical variables.
Interestingly, we found that the ECG features that most heavily contributed to the final deep learning decision are features that cardiologists also routinely look for in diagnosing AFib, says study co-author Steven Steinhubl, MD, a cardiologist and director of Digital Medicine at the Scripps Research Translational Institute.
Quer, Steinhubl and their colleagues hope that the availability of this explanatory framework will encourage cardiologists and hospitals to start using deep learning and wearable technology for better AFib screening and monitoring.
The approach could eventually be applied to other medical conditions that can be identified through data collected with wearable devices. Currently, the Scripps Research team is working on a machine learning method to detect COVID-19 from wearable sensor data, aiming to improve upon the accuracy they reported in their recent paper in Nature Medicine. Here, it will be necessary to explain the machine learning results and highlight the most important features used to identify people with COVID-19 infection.
With this new explanatory approach, we hope to better understand the deep learning network and make it more useful to clinicians, Quer says.
The study was a collaboration between Scripps Research and the University of California, San Diego. A Comprehensive Explanation Framework for Biomedical Time Series Classification was co-authored by Praharsh Ivaturi, Matteo Gadaleta, Amitabh Pandey, Michael Pazzani, Steven Steinhubl and Giorgio Quer.
Funding was provided by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the National Science Foundation and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences.
Heart Disease Quer, Giorgio
North America Stories
04/07/2025
By Lucy Spicer
Editor's note: We are deeply saddened by the passing of Robe...
04/07/2025
Introducing CVP Auctions: Trusted Tech, At Auction-Only Prices
Brie Clayton July 4, 2025
0 Comments
A New Destination for Film and Broadcast Gear at U...
04/07/2025
Unveiling China's Ecological Wonders with URSA Mini Pro 12K
Brie Clayton July 4, 2025
0 Comments
Nature Documentaries Freeze Epic Momentsin Extrem...
04/07/2025
Create Any Planet in After Effects
Graham Quince July 4, 2025
0 Comments
The Advanced 3D renderer in After Effects makes it really easy to import 3D o...
04/07/2025
Custom Gradient Colorize for Resolve Fusion
Simon Ubsdell July 4, 2025
0 Comments
Digging into the theory of the gradient colorize process to build ou...
04/07/2025
Watching live sports on TV these days is a delicate balance for broadcasters how much information is too much?...
04/07/2025
WASHINGTON As Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr works to achieve his goal of a very busy, productive summer at the FCC, the agency has rele...
04/07/2025
Other World Computing Launches OWC Guardian USB-C Hardware-Encrypted Portable SS...
04/07/2025
CANAL Brings MotoGP to Vision Pro with Blackmagic URSA Cine Immersive
Brie Clayton July 3, 2025
0 Comments
Experience MotoGP like never before as CA...
03/07/2025
To achieve a true level of decisive overmatch, communication systems must be as ...
03/07/2025
The Broadcasters Foundation of America has named Ray Hopkins, president of U.S. distribution at Paramount Global, to its board of directors....
03/07/2025
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. In his first major policy speech, Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr outlined his Build America Agenda for the agency'...
03/07/2025
As the industry is making a major push to transition to NextGen TV and develop new businesses that will fund the next generation of broadcasting, TV Tech's ...
03/07/2025
Despite enabling its subscribers to watch films and TV shows in the highest possible resolution, Netflix has revealed it is taking things old school with the in...
03/07/2025
WASHINGTON In response to news that Paramount Global has agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit by President Donald Trump, Democrats and other administra...
03/07/2025
WUPPERTAL, Germany Riedel Communications today launched RefSuite for professional sports workflows....
03/07/2025
WEITERSTADT, Germany LYNX Technik, a provider of modular signal processing solutions, has announced that founder and longtime CEO Winfried Deckelmann is steppin...
03/07/2025
WASHINGTON Representatives from six trade groups representing tech, pay TV, broadband, LPTV and other sectors recently met with Federal Communications Commissio...
03/07/2025
PLYMOUTH, Wis. Dan Whealy has acquired Heartland Video Systems and will be its new owner and president, the systems integrator said....
03/07/2025
Acclaimed filmmaker, educator, and industry veteran Jay Holben has released his most ambitious work to date: The Director's Guide to Everything a sweeping...
03/07/2025
For Los Angeles-based photographer Scout Pruski, documenting the annual Dyke Day LA is a way to honor and give back to the city's legacy queer community and...
03/07/2025
Modular, Travel-Ready Solution Matthews Studio Equipment launches the new Chimera V-Flat Panel Frame Kit, the lightweight and modular, ultra-durable alternativ...
03/07/2025
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the release of Dalet Flex 2025.6 LTS (long-term support), introdu...
03/07/2025
Lightware's LARA Wizard makes it quicker and easier than ever to set up audio-visual (AV) room automation and control configurations, ensuring anyone, from ...
03/07/2025
Alfalite, the only European manufacturer of LED screens, has obtained both the NCAGE Code (NATO Commercial and Government Entity) and TAA (Trade Agreements Act)...
03/07/2025
nxtedition is implementing a new solution for WIN Network, based in its headquarters in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. The nxtedition integrated platfo...
03/07/2025
ORS Group and Insys Video Technologies today announce the launch of a new joint brand identity: Big Blue Marble. The move reflects the evolution of a long-stand...
03/07/2025
Evergent, a global leader in customer lifecycle management and monetization solutions for subscription-based businesses, today announced the successful results ...
03/07/2025
LYNX Technik, provider of modular signal processing solutions today announces an executive leadership transition, effective July 1, 2025. Markus Motzko has been...
03/07/2025
Chaos Releases V-Ray for Blender
Brie Clayton July 2, 2025
0 Comments
Production-Proven Renderer V-Ray Arrives Natively in Blender for the First Time;...
03/07/2025
Calvin University Adds Blackmagic Replay to Broadcasts and Streams
Brie Clayton July 2, 2025
0 Comments
Replay workflow joins 14 Blackmagic Design cam...
03/07/2025
Berklee's Gospel Performance Program Welcomes Jonathan Nelson as the Herb Al...
03/07/2025
Back to All News
Get ready for even more action! Netflix has confirmed the thir...
03/07/2025
In today's fragmented media landscape, advertisers expect more than just reach - they want seamless cross-platform campaigns that deliver measurable results...
03/07/2025
The forecast this month is showing a 100% chance of epic gaming. Catch the scorching lineup of 20 titles coming to the cloud, which gamers can play whether indo...
02/07/2025
Hege Wik and Odin appear in FOLKTALES by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, an official selection of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institut...
02/07/2025
(Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock for Sundance Film Festival)
By Patty Consolazio
This one's for any person who's ever felt put down, left out, marginaliz...
02/07/2025
NEW YORK Paramount Global has agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit by President Donald Trump, ending a long-running legal saga that could clear the way...
02/07/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission has approved the transfer of licenses for five TV stations from Sinclair to Rincon Broadcasting, which announce...
02/07/2025
As the media industry faces an uncertain business climate and rapidly changing consumer habits, TV Tech's most popular stories from the first six months of ...
02/07/2025
PORTSMOUTH, N.H. New data shows that U.S. homes now own an average of two smart TVs, with Samsung and LG dominating the market but Roku and FireTV continue to g...
02/07/2025
LOS ANGELES Funds managed by Oaktree Capital Management have acquired FilmRise, an independent digital streaming content distributor, and merged it with Shout! ...
02/07/2025
WASHINGTON The Advanced Television Systems Committee named Luiz Fausto vice president of standards development, succeeding ATSC vice president Jerry Whitaker, w...
02/07/2025
Boston Conservatory and the Sphinx Organization Join Forces to Make Classical Ed...
02/07/2025
NEW AMSTERDAM CREATOR DAVID SCHULNER JOINS CREATIVE TEAM OF NEW FOX DRAMA SERIE...
02/07/2025
Progressive realism: Aurora on taking up the broadcast reins for World RX alongs...
02/07/2025
Great speed: New host broadcaster Aurora on getting the World RX 2025 season pro...
02/07/2025
Seat of its pants: Aurora boxes clever and looks ahead for the FIA as new host b...
02/07/2025
UEFA Women's Euro 2025: EBU, BBC Sport and Sunset Vine talk coverage plans, ...
02/07/2025
UEFA Women's Euro 2025: Women's Super League launches new content series...