Airdoc Founder Zhang Dalei Elaborates on the Application of Artificial Intelligence in Medical Imaging Recognition at Industry Forum

The healthcare sector has a strong potential demand for artificial intelligence. Currently, a relatively complete industrial structure for global “AI + Healthcare,” encompassing “infrastructure, technology, and applications,” has initially taken shape. For new technologies to truly drive industry transformation, coordinated efforts across policy, technology, talent, and other areas are required, along with corporate exploration and the accumulation of experience over time. To explore future development trends and practical implementation strategies for health and medical big data and artificial intelligence, the 2017 Yangtze River Industry Forum (Autumn Session) and the Health and Medical Big Data & Artificial Intelligence Conference were grandly held at the Wuhan Conference Center on September 16–17, 2017.

At the conference, Zhang Dalei, founder of Airdoc, a leading AI enterprise in the healthcare sector, delivered a presentation titled “AI for Everyone: Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Medical Image Recognition,” elaborating on the current clinical applications and future prospects of AI combined with medical imaging. The following is a curated report by VCBeat.

Airdoc Founder Zhang Dalei

If we had talked about artificial intelligence a few years ago, few people would have understood it; but now, an increasing number of people are getting involved.

Zhang Dalei believes that the common enemy of medical artificial intelligence is disease, which is a shared consensus. Therefore, only when a technology can effectively function in clinical practice can it generate value and find market demand.

Artificial intelligence in the United States is several years ahead of that in China, and its regulatory framework is no less stringent. However, with the rise of AI, leaders across various sectors are paying increasing attention to it. In the medical field, product safety is paramount; efficacy can only be discussed once safety is ensured.

Airdoc has won the support of more experts through on-site testing and hands-on experience.

Three years ago, occasional reports on medical artificial intelligence could be seen, and at that time, regulatory authorities had already begun to pay attention to this technology.

However, Zhang Dalei believes that there is little differentiation among the products of most companies in the industry. Whether in China or the United States, the majority of firms merely adjust parameters, lacking significant technological barriers. Without such barriers, it is difficult to establish an industry moat, leaving limited room for enterprises to survive.

Everyone hopes to achieve an integrated product of software, hardware, and services. But if such a product is truly developed, will it really empower grassroots healthcare? Not necessarily.

In some regions, the equipment and staffing conditions in primary healthcare facilities are worse than commonly assumed, with many such institutions lacking stable internet connectivity. For these healthcare providers, directly purchasing large-scale, high-tech equipment presents significant challenges. Medical AI companies need to make adaptations and efforts to better serve these institutions.

Moreover, Zhang Dalei believes that the application of artificial intelligence in healthcare should not be limited to the diagnostic phase. Airdoc has established a presence in both the Chinese and U.S. markets, recognizing significant differences between the two.

In China, the clinical diagnosis process relies heavily on physicians’ experience, making it difficult to quantify traditional diagnostic and treatment procedures. AI-powered auxiliary diagnostic products effectively address this limitation, thereby creating substantial market potential for such solutions in China. However, the situation differs in the United States.

Patients seek solutions; therefore, following assisted diagnosis, there should be a clear pathway to problem resolution that delivers tangible outcomes. “How to treat” is what patients truly desire. Achieving this goal requires substantial further effort, such as the integration of diagnosis and treatment.

Over the past few years, Airdoc has invested heavily in translating capital into tangible academic and clinical outcomes by deploying top-tier algorithms and medical talent, and engaging in academic collaborations with leading medical institutions. Their goal is to identify solutions that enable physicians to make accurate diagnoses quickly and efficiently. In this process, they have observed a significant imbalance in the distribution of medical resources within China, where high-quality care reaches only a limited geographic area. Given China’s vast territory, a large proportion of patients reside in primary care settings, which remain underserved by premium medical resources.

With changes in national policies, an increasing number of people have come to recognize and accept artificial intelligence (AI) technology. Over the past three years, they have observed growing acceptance of AI by mainstream academia and regulatory authorities. Notably, even at this year’s annual conference of the Chinese Medical Association’s branches of radiology, dermatology, and ophthalmology, dedicated AI sessions were established, organized and chaired by Airdoc.

AI-assisted diagnostic products have been available in China for many years. The first Chinese standard for AI-assisted diagnosis was established in the last century, fully demonstrating the strong forward-looking nature of China’s health system policies. However, due to the immaturity of technical algorithms at that time and suboptimal product performance, the standard was not widely promoted or strictly enforced. Now, with the true arrival of the AI wave, an increasing number of people are beginning to pay attention to this field.

For enterprises, commerce is fundamental. Deep learning has demonstrated powerful capabilities in recent years; however, there are no established experiences or models to draw upon for clinical application and commercialization. Given that Airdoc’s team includes numerous members with medical backgrounds, the company has explored various models over the past few years to address pain points in healthcare and validate its business model.

Throughout this process, Airdoc has successively established collaborations with numerous top-tier Grade 3A hospitals, including the Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center of Sun Yat-sen University, the Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital (301), the Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University, Xuanwu Hospital of Capital Medical University, Fuwai Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, and Shanghai Changzheng Hospital. Furthermore, it has developed application pilot sites at hospitals such as Shanghai Shibei Hospital and Huaibei Miner’s General Hospital. In addition, many specialized hospitals, community health service centers, and large enterprises—including Ping An Good Doctor and Ping An Wanjia Medical—have begun adopting Airdoc’s chronic disease screening services, establishing Airdoc as the company with the strongest commercialization capabilities in the industry.

In recognition of its contributions to the health and medical industry since its establishment, Airdoc has been selected as the lead organization for the Secretariat of the Smart Healthcare Professional Committee under the Chinese Association for Artificial Intelligence, a standing committee member unit of the Mobile Health Branch of the China Health Promotion and Education Association, and a founding entity of the Ministry of Science and Technology’s Intelligent Medical Imaging Center.

Zhang Dalei stated that, just as the name “Airdoc” signifies the aspiration for high-quality medical services to be equally accessible to everyone like air, Airdoc positions itself as an AI company for all, aiming to address the current imbalance in medical resource distribution and ensure that everyone can enjoy access to high-quality healthcare services.