Flemish hospitals join international study on sustainable CT scans with AI

Two Flemish hospital groups, GasthuisZusters Antwerp and AZ Sint-Jan in West Flanders, are taking part in an international study on sustainable CT scans using artificial intelligence. This was announced by the GZA hospitals on Thursday.

The average carbon footprint of a CT scan is 9 kg, due to the disposable materials used and the energy required. In addition, most CT scans require the injection of a contrast agent, which is later excreted, releasing pharmaceutical waste into the sewage system and affecting biodiversity.

The University of Oxford has developed a method called CT Digital Contrast, which eliminates the need to inject a contrast agent into the patient and requires only one scan instead of the usual two. After the scan, an AI-based algorithm digitally generates the contrast and superimposes it on the original CT image.

To further investigate this technology, an international consortium called AICT has been set up, which includes the GZA and Sint-Jan Brugge-Oostende hospitals, as well as hospitals in France, Greece, Poland, England, Scotland, Australia and Brazil.

AICT is working on a large database of 1 million CT scans, or about 500 million images, needed to train the AI technology. They are also working on an ethical framework to ensure that the sharing of this data is fully compliant with privacy laws.

^{#FlandersNewsService | © BELGA PHOTO ERIC LALMAND}