Waiting rooms littered with old magazines. Sharp tools for tooth removal. Huge bills. Few people look forward to seeing the orthodontist.
And for orthodontists, the challenges run high to raise the treatment bar. German startup CellmatiQ aims to alleviate some professional pressures by coming to the aid with artificial intelligence.
The company’s software, powered by deep learning, promises easier diagnosis of dental X-rays. CellmatiQ, a member of NVIDIA’s Inception program, also offers image analysis that could improve diagnosis of glaucoma by opthamologists.
In Germany alone, about 1.3 million orthodontic X-rays are performed annually, costing healthcare providers roughly €45 million. X-rays help determine the dental and skeletal relationships of a human skull, a process known as cephalometric analysis. And they’re required in any treatment plan involving braces.
To determine whether or not an orthodontic patient will need any form of treatment, such as braces or surgery, X-rays must be manually reviewed and up to 44 specific points identified. From these points, a number of measurements are taken and a diagnosis is formed.
Speeding Diagnosis
The process of identifying each miniscule point can take as much as 15 minutes per X-ray, which must be done by orthodontists many times daily. The results of analysis depend on training, experience and available time, but they’re important for maintaining the quality of treatment.
Powered by NVIDIA GPUs, CellmatiQ’s software promises to reduce this burden by performing the X-ray image analysis. It can handle 44 points in the cranial X-rays, reducing the time spent on these tasks to just a few seconds.
With high-quality results, CellmatiQ’s DentaliQ Ortho software enables orthodontists to spend less time performing manual analyses and more time determining the best treatment plans for their patients.
Helping Opthamologists, Too
CellmatiQ has developed image recognition for opthamologists as well. Its OptaliQ glauco software, as the name suggests, is aimed at detection of glaucoma.
About 70 million people worldwide are afflicted with the disease, a degeneration of the optic nerve in the eye. Glaucoma is easy to manage and prevent further damage, but successful treatment is dependent upon early detection, which is difficult.
The combination of ophthalmoscopy with fundus photography is a commonly used diagnostic procedure for glaucoma, but can also be used to discover the presence of other diseases such as diabetic retinopathy or multiple sclerosis.
CellmatiQ’s AI technology is capable of measuring retinal characteristics as well as identifying glaucoma, in almost real time, therefore freeing up valuable medical resources.
Inception
CellmatiQ is one of more than 2,200 startups in the NVIDIA Inception program. NVIDIA’s virtual accelerator program provides startups with access to technology, expertise and marketing support.