Infervision Empowers County-Level Hospitals: Supports Establishment of Hebei's First AI-Powered Lung Nodule Early Screening Center

Recently, the “Intelligent (AI) Joint Early Screening Center for Pulmonary Nodules” at Yutian County Hospital in Tangshan, Hebei Province, was officially established. This marks the first project in Hebei Province to introduce artificial intelligence (AI) technology to assist in pulmonary nodule screening. VCBeat (WeChat ID: vcbeat) has learned that, with the support of advanced AI technology, Yutian County Hospital will provide more precise examinations for patients with lung diseases across the county. This initiative aims to advance early screening, early diagnosis, and early treatment of lung cancer, ensuring timely intervention upon detection of early-stage tumors, thereby nipping cancers in the bud and reducing the number of late-stage cases and mortality rates.

At the launch ceremony of the “Pulmonary Nodule Intelligent (AI) Joint Early Screening Center” at Yutian County Hospital, Hou Yan, former Director of the Planning and Information Department of the National Health and Family Planning Commission; Hou Xiangbo, Deputy County Mayor of Yutian County; Bai Xiaoqing, Director of the Yutian County Health Commission; Zhang Weijun, Deputy Director of the Yutian County Health Commission; Zhang Fu, Deputy Director of the Yutian County People’s Congress and President of Yutian County Hospital; and Xi Weiling, Chief Marketing Officer of Infervision Medical Technology Co., Ltd., attended the event and delivered speeches.

At the launch ceremony, Liu Jingyu, Vice President of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University; Professor Liu Zhaohui from the Department of Radiology at Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University; and Bao Ruixin, Deputy Director of the Department of Radiology at Yutian County Hospital, engaged in academic exchanges with over 300 medical professionals from various health centers (stations) in Yutian County. The discussions centered on topics including “Leading Smart Healthcare through AI-Assisted Diagnostic Collaboration,” “Imaging Analysis Strategies and Management Principles for Pulmonary Nodules,” and “Practical Experience in AI-Based Lung Cancer Screening.”

Hou Yan, former Director of the Department of Planning and Information under the National Health and Family Planning Commission, stated that artificial intelligence (AI) technology plays a significant role in medical equipment and is of great importance to enhancing the capacity building of county-level hospitals. The introduction of AI technology can promote the widespread application of next-generation medical information technology in the healthcare sector, greatly benefiting the general public and accelerating the realization of the Healthy China strategy.

Hou Xiangbo, Deputy County Mayor of Yutian County, extended a sincere welcome to the distinguished leaders and experts who had traveled from afar. He stated that Yutian County Hospital has diligently implemented the work arrangements set forth by both municipal and county authorities on building a highland for medical care and health wellness. The hospital has proactively strengthened its connections and coordination with renowned hospitals in Beijing and Tianjin, learning from and introducing advanced diagnostic and therapeutic techniques as well as cutting-edge equipment. The introduction of the intelligent screening system for pulmonary nodules is a concrete practice of our county’s efforts to build such a highland, marking a new stage in the construction of artificial intelligence systems at the county hospital. It signifies that the hospital has reached a domestic leading level in clinical screening, diagnosis, and treatment, and will undoubtedly provide more precise examinations and more effective treatments for the vast number of pulmonary disease patients across the county.

Zhang Fu, President of Yutian County Hospital, introduced to the attendees the hospital’s efforts in the early screening, diagnosis, and treatment of lung cancer. He stated, “Yutian County Hospital has introduced the most advanced pulmonary nodule screening system, which can automatically identify CT images, detect various types of pulmonary nodules present in patients’ lungs, provide detailed descriptions of nodule information, generate semi-structured diagnostic reports, and assess the benign or malignant nature of pulmonary nodules. This system assists physicians in CT imaging diagnosis, significantly reducing the probability of missed diagnoses, which is of great significance for patients undergoing early lung cancer screening. Meanwhile, for confirmed lung cancer patients, the county hospital maintains strong collaborative relationships with expert teams from renowned hospitals in Beijing. The Third Department of Surgery (Thoracic Surgery and Oncology) collaborates closely with the Department of Thoracic Surgery at Beijing Hospital, enabling the timely engagement of medical experts for consultation and surgical procedures for lung cancer patients.”

Cancer, long referred to as the “leading killer of health,” is a major disease that poses a severe threat to human life and well-being. The latest national cancer statistics released by the National Cancer Center in January 2019 showed that malignant tumors accounted for 23.91% of all causes of death among residents. Over the past decade or so, both the incidence and mortality rates of malignant tumors have shown a continuous upward trend. Analyses suggest that the low prevalence of health check-ups, coupled with non-standardized cancer screening practices, has resulted in most patients being diagnosed at intermediate or advanced stages. This is a significant contributing factor to China’s persistently high cancer mortality rate and short survival periods.

The World Health Organization has stated that more than 40% of cancers are preventable, and early detection, diagnosis, and treatment are key to reducing cancer mortality. Therefore, in recent years, China has attached great importance to cancer screening and early diagnosis and treatment. The 2019 Government Work Report pointed out that tens of millions of families in China are affected by cancer, and it is necessary to implement cancer prevention and control actions, promote preventive screening, early diagnosis and treatment, and scientific research breakthroughs, focusing on alleviating people's livelihood pain points.

In his address, Xi Weiling, President of Marketing at Infervision Medical Technology Co., Ltd. (Beijing), stated that over the past four years since its establishment, Infervision has been dedicated to leveraging deep learning technology to analyze medical imaging data, including DR, CT, and MRI scans. The company aims to provide physicians with precise and efficient auxiliary tools, thereby alleviating their workload and enabling them to devote more time and energy to patient care, thus returning to the core of diagnosis and treatment. Currently, Infervision’s AI-powered medical imaging products are being used in collaboration with physicians at more than 300 hospitals worldwide.

Xi Weiling stated that collaborating with Yutian County Hospital on the AI-assisted screening project for pulmonary nodules represents a highly valuable opportunity for Infervision. As county-level hospitals serve as the most direct point of contact for patients, early screening, diagnosis, and treatment of lung cancer are critical. We hope that Infervision will not only provide high-quality AI medical products to county-level hospitals but also offer additional empowerment services to support the establishment of lung cancer early diagnosis and treatment centers. In the future, Infervision will remain committed to its promise of “derived from clinical practice, applied back to clinical practice,” partnering with more primary care hospitals to contribute to their development through our AI medical solutions. We believe that Infervision can join hands with more partners to embrace AI in healthcare and step into the AI era.