When 5G Meets AI: Elekta Unveils a Vision of Smart Healthcare at CIIE 2019

Today, Elekta partnered with Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center to undertake an initiative that became the focal point of the China International Import Expo!

At the second China International Import Expo (CIIE), Elekta invited Professor Sun Ying from the Department of Radiation Oncology at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, who was located thousands of miles away, to remotely guide four radiation oncologists from The Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Yuebei People’s Hospital, Beijing You’anmen Hospital, and Shanghai Yangpu District Shidong Hospital via 5G technology. They will conduct a coordinated demonstration across Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shanghai at the Elekta booth, utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) for complex target volume delineation in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

“It takes a senior nasopharyngeal carcinoma specialist at least 2–3 hours to complete one contouring task, whereas artificial intelligence requires only 10 minutes. How high is the accuracy of AI?”

“For normal tissues that require protection during radiotherapy, the focus varies among experts and hospitals. How does AI-powered automatic contouring software address the resulting variations in contouring?”

“5G has recently been officially launched for commercial use. How significantly will 5G-based medical consortium platforms contribute to the development of regionally standardized AI delineation platforms?”

In response to the above three questions, Elekta provided answers through this innovative live demonstration:

Efficiency gains do not come at the expense of contouring quality; AI-based target volume contouring achieves an accuracy rate of up to 90%.

Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, which partnered with Elekta to showcase scientific research achievements, is a comprehensive medical institution with influence across China and globally. The hospital has reached an internationally advanced level in the clinical treatment and research of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Professor Sun Ying, who provided remote guidance on target volume delineation in this instance, is the Deputy Director, doctoral supervisor, and a nasopharyngeal carcinoma radiotherapy expert at the hospital. She has long been dedicated to researching and practicing the application of artificial intelligence in defining complex nasopharyngeal carcinoma target volumes and selecting treatment regimens. The AI-based delineation system for nasopharyngeal carcinoma radiotherapy demonstrated here represents another independent innovation achieved by Professor Sun’s team in collaboration with the School of Mathematics and Computer Science at Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou Best Vision Medical Technology Co., Ltd., and Elekta from Sweden.

Professor Peng Wangqing, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center

Professor Sun Ying, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center

Based on extensive contouring data samples provided by Professor Sun’s team at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, this system has developed a standardized target volume model for nasopharyngeal carcinoma through deep learning in artificial intelligence. Currently, this solution, which adheres to the contouring standards and clinical expertise of Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, has been implemented in multiple hospitals. On one hand, it achieves an impressive contouring accuracy rate of 90%; on the other hand, it enhances contouring efficiency through rapid delineation, significantly reducing patients’ waiting time for treatment.

Furthermore, as this AI system can now seamlessly integrate with the Elekta Monaco® treatment planning system, it not only simplifies the data transmission process but also significantly enhances the operational efficiency of radiology departments.

Regarding the independent innovations at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Peng Wangqing, Deputy Director of the center, stated: “After introducing advanced foreign equipment, we have not only optimized the use of existing functionalities but also placed special emphasis on localizing adaptations to address China-specific workflows and unique diagnostic and treatment needs. This has enabled us to infuse Chinese expertise back into imported devices, thereby achieving the goal of a collaborative community. In addition to this AI contouring system, we have successively completed the development of a full-process radiotherapy information system with Elekta. This system addresses the global challenge of efficiently scheduling orderly treatments for 1,200 patients across 12 treatment machines.”

For normal tissues requiring protection during radiotherapy, priorities often vary across hospitals, leading to significant discrepancies in contouring. Elekta’s AI-based auto-contouring software can be personalized to align with each hospital’s specific priorities, thereby meeting the demands of individualized precision radiotherapy. For instance, in this demonstration, Dr. Pan Suming from Northern Guangdong People’s Hospital utilized an AI model library specially customized by Elekta for their institution. This tailored AI model library ensures that target volume contouring standards remain consistent with those of Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, while separately contouring the tongue and teeth within normal tissue structures. This approach addresses Northern Guangdong People’s Hospital’s specific considerations regarding the relationship between gingival damage and radiation dose exposure.

As the tiered diagnosis and treatment system continues to advance, the shortage of specialized professionals in primary care hospitals has become increasingly prominent. A key focus of the industry is how to leverage modern information technology to fully connect medical institutions and physicians across different tiers. For radiologists in primary care hospitals, a major challenge lies in conducting remote consultations with specialists from other hospitals when encountering complex cases. The application demonstrated by Elekta, combining 5G technology with AI-based intelligent contouring, serves as a positive example for building a comprehensive medical consortium platform. This enables physicians at different hospital campuses to conduct remote consultations and communicate seamlessly without any latency.

Professor Sun Ying from the Department of Radiation Oncology at Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center stated: “First, this demonstration of 5G+AI has strengthened our confidence in artificial intelligence. It can liberate physicians from repetitive tasks, returning them to their patients, thereby enabling doctors to treat both the disease and the patient’s mind. This aligns with the original aspiration of medical practitioners. Second, AI is not only applicable in large hospitals but also in primary care institutions. This is essential for truly implementing tiered diagnosis and treatment and achieving homogeneous healthcare standards, thereby comprehensively advancing cancer prevention and control in China. This constitutes the mission of medical professionals. Third, artificial intelligence is still in its early stages globally. It requires collaboration between clinicians and engineers, as well as concerted efforts among hospitals, Chinese technology enterprises such as our partner Guangzhou Baishi, and international equipment manufacturers like Elekta. Only through such cooperation can we complete the transition from prototypes to products and then to commercial commodities, allowing Chinese innovation to reach the world. As President Xi Jinping has said, ‘The world is vast, and I wish to explore it.’ Similarly, Chinese wisdom seeks to benefit people worldwide. Meanwhile, given the immense scale of the Chinese market, we welcome all to engage with us. We are eager to collaborate with domestic and international medical suppliers and research institutions to strive tirelessly for the comprehensive health of the Chinese people. This reflects the social responsibility of our hospital and of us as researchers.”

Several physicians also shared their reflections on participating in this event. Among them, Dr. Wang Jiehua, Director at Shanghai Yangpu District Shidong Hospital, stated, “As a district-level hospital in Yangpu District, we are deeply rooted in the local community. Today, through the real-time communication platform built by Elekta using 5G technology, we can receive expert guidance without leaving our hospital. I believe this will significantly promote the improvement of clinical skills among physicians at primary-care hospitals.”

In response, Gong Anming, President of Elekta China, stated, “Today, we are delighted to be the first to showcase real-world scenarios of future smart healthcare at the China International Import Expo (CIIE), leveraging 5G technology and AI solutions. As a global leader in providing radiotherapy solutions, we not only supply the latest equipment to hospitals at all levels across China, but also leverage our strengths to engage in deep collaborations with top-tier medical institutions by partnering with promising local AI companies. This approach enriches our solution portfolio while enabling us to serve our extensive customer base more rapidly, accurately, and effectively. Applying this cutting-edge technology to contemporary clinical practice is not only part of Elekta’s mission as a global leader in intelligent, precision radiotherapy, but also reflects our social responsibility!”

Monaco® is a radiotherapy treatment planning system designed for precise tumor radiation therapy, integrating Monte Carlo dose algorithms with biological optimization. It employs the industry gold-standard Monte Carlo dose algorithm to ensure the accuracy of dose calculations. Meanwhile, it pioneers the simultaneous application of biological optimization to both the target volume and organs at risk, thereby providing superior protection for organs at risk. Monaco® supports all current radiotherapy techniques, including 3D, IMRT, VMAT, and SBRT planning. It is particularly effective in dynamic IMRT and non-coplanar VMAT techniques, significantly reducing accelerator delivery time while enhancing plan quality.