A team of UCD based scientists is celebrating after a diagnostic tool they developed to identify a deadly pregnancy complication was named “AI Innovation of the Year” at the Public Sector Digital Transformation Awards. The Awards aim to recognise the achievements of public sector organisations that have made significant contributions to advancing digital transformation across Ireland.
AI_PREMie is a diagnostic tool which uses cutting-edge biomedical, clinical and machine-learning research to identify women with preeclampsia which is a dangerous complication that can develop during pregnancy. Preeclampsia affects almost one in every 10 pregnancies and every year it claims the lives of 50,000 mothers and 500,000 babies, many in developing countries.
Reacting to the news, Professor Patricia Maguire of the UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science whose team has developed AI_PREMie team said: “This achievement would not have been possible without the incredible support of the amazing interdisciplinary team based across UCD and the three Dublin Maternity Hospitals as well as Challenge Funding from Science Foundation Ireland.
“Years of translational research has unearthed crucial biomarkers that, when coupled with clinical data, serve as the foundation for an advanced machine learning model underlying AI_PREMie. This model is poised to revolutionise clinical decision-making in the realm of pre-eclampsia, a condition with no rapid diagnostic test currently available.
“Our team has been able to create an AI tool that will empower care providers to make more informed decisions, delivering a pre-eclampsia risk score with red, amber, or green flags. This system integrates unique platelet biomarkers with clinical data and demographic information, providing a unified view of patient data for better patient care.
“At present, we have over 400 expectant mothers enrolled in our project, and AI_PREMie is demonstrating great promise. Our immediate goal is to conduct trials of AI_PREMie in Dublin maternity hospitals in 2024, with the aim of global deployment.”
“We are driven by the mission to help healthcare providers worldwide prevent thousands of deaths and complications arising from pre-eclampsia. Every seven minutes, an expectant mother loses her life due to pre-eclampsia complications, and every 40 seconds, a baby is lost for the same reason. The mission of AI_PREMie is to get the test to every person who needs it as the whole team really believes it will save lives.”
Preeclampsia is characterised by the development of high blood pressure and protein in the urine. However, warning signs are difficult to detect, meaning preeclampsia often goes undetected until complications become serious, often life threatening.
It is hoped that AI_PREMie will arm clinical care providers with an affordable risk stratification tool to closely observe pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia, and will help to prevent unnecessary adverse outcomes for mother and baby.
AI_PREMie has been developed by Professor Maguire and her team in the UCD School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science. The project is backed by a multidisciplinary team of experts from the University College Dublin, National Maternity Hospital, the Rotunda Hospital, the Coombe Women’s Hospital, the SAS Institute and Microsoft Ireland.
At present, AI_PREMie is being piloted in three major maternity hospitals in Dublin, capturing 50% of all Irish births. By providing a timely and accurate prognosis, AI PREMie will be a game-changer for women with preeclampsia and should have a major impact on the health and mortality rates of pregnant women and their babies worldwide.