General Electric : The GE Brief – January 16, 2018

'For humans, it's simply impossible to make sense of the hundreds of parameters… For the algorithm, it's a piece of cake.'
- Oguzhan Gencoglu,
Cofounder of AI startup Top Data Science

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1. VIRTUAL ORGANS

Where do you think the liver is?It might be trickier to find than you think. A new augmented reality system aims to make sure technicians operating ultrasound scanners never miss the mark. This technology could be especially helpful in developing countries, where there may be a lack of trained personnel. If successful, it could help prevent simple mistakes and stop patients from having to return for a repeat scan.

How does it work?GE Global Research has programmed AR smart glassesto work in conjunction with a scanner. Looking through the glasses at a dummy, the trainee can see where a typical human's organs are located (and what they look like) as the sonogram wand moves across the body. The headgear leads them to specific organs and tells them how best to capture the scan.

The project is still in development, but ultimately GE would like to send ultrasound machines and AR headsetsto facilities across the globe. Learn more about the technology here.

2. COMEBACK KID

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Will Bolick's birth was a story of struggle, but also of immense love and care. Will's mother, Brittany, had a difficult and high-risk pregnancy and delivered Will prematurely by C-section at just 24 weeks. He weighed 1 pound, 11 ounces -the average weight of a newborn boy in the U.S. is about 8 pounds - and spent five months fighting for his life in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Will's father, Scott Bolick, credits the hospital's staff for his son's incredible recovery. 'I'm a strong believer that a big part of Will's survival was thanks to the goodness that resides in everyone,' said Scott, a software executive at GE Power. 'I can perfectly picture incredible acts of skill, courage and kindness. One respiratory therapist was told multiple times to go home but refused to leave our son's side for over 24 hours. I also remember doctors arguing over his treatment - and one special doctor who made the call to give Will the nitrous oxide that helped to save his life.'

Will passed the time inside the protective cocoon of the Giraffe Omnibed, an incubator and radiant warmer for premature babies that was designed by Scott's colleagues at GE Healthcare. Will, who celebrated his fifth birthday last week, is on track to start kindergarten next fall. Read moreabout Will's story.

3. CANCER-DETECTING AI

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In cases of life and death, no one has time to sift through data. That's why Top Data Science, an AI startup based in Helsinki, is developing software that can do the work for us. The company designed an AI algorithmand used it to analyze of millions of data points. The team is training it to alert medical professionals to unseen patterns in the data and help them diagnose disease fasterand better track patients' progress.

Already, their software is analyzing thousands of MRI images of the prostate at the Helsinki University Central Hospital, and another set of algorithms is crunching data from the intensive care unit. Finland has been the perfect backdrop for the startup, as local hospitals embraced digitization early on and now have large databases of patient information going back 10 to 15 years.

In 2014, Top Data Science launched in GE Healthcare's Health Innovation Village, a startup incubator in Helsinki's 'Silicon Vallila.' Learn moreabout this innovative work coming out of the village.

COOLEST THINGS ON EARTH

1. The smallest sensor A tiny wearable sensor developed by researchers at Northwestern University has huge potential. The sensor - smaller than an M&M - monitors sun exposure and body temperature, and could possibly save lives by reducing skin cancer.
2. Healing the ozone Good news: NASA's Aura satellite observed directly for the first time that the ozone hole is healing. The international ban on chemicals called chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) has proved beneficial, with a 20% reduction in ozone depletion compared with 2005 data.
3. Booze patrol In response to alcohol poisoning deaths and illnesses due to counterfeit booze, scientists at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign developed a sensor that can sniff out the content and brand in 14 different liquors 'with greater than 99 percent accuracy.' Cheers to that!

Plus: Stem cell muscles and more in this week'scoolest things on earth.

Quote: GE Reports. Images: GE Reports, The Bolick family, Top Data Science.

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