IISc’s AI tool can aid in screening for nerve disorder

Researchers from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), in collaboration with Aster-CMI Hospital, have introduced an artificial intelligence (AI) tool capable of identifying the median nerve in ultrasound videos, enabling the detection of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Published in IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Ferroelectrics, and Frequency Control, the study addresses CTS, a prevalent nerve-related disorder resulting from compression of the median nerve in the wrist's carpal tunnel, leading to sensations of numbness, tingling, or pain. This innovation, particularly beneficial for individuals engaged in repetitive hand movements like keyboard use, assembly line work, and sports activities, leverages ultrasound technology for assessing the size, shape, and potential abnormalities of the median nerve.

Detecting activities in ultrasound images and videos proves challenging compared to X-rays and MRI scans. As the primary author and former MTech student at the Department of Computational and Data Sciences (CDS), IISc, Mr. Karan R Gujarati elucidates, while the median nerve is clearly visible at the wrist with distinct boundaries, challenges arise in the elbow region due to the presence of multiple structures and unclear nerve boundaries.

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