Recent research has suggested that neuroinflammation may be important in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. Free-water diffusion (FWD) has been proposed as a non-invasive neuroimaging-based biomarker for neuroinflammation. Free-water maps were generated using diffusion MRI data in 367 patients from the Ontario Neurodegenerative Disease Research Initiative (108 Alzheimer's Disease/Mild Cognitive Impairment, 42 Frontotemporal Dementia, 37 Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, 123 Parkinson's Disease, and 58 vascular disease-related Cognitive Impairment). The ability of FWD to predict neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration from biofluids was estimated using plasma glial fibrillary-associated protein (GFAP) and neurofilament light chain (NfL), respectively. Recursive Feature Elimination (RFE) performed the strongest out of all feature selection algorithms used and revealed regional specificity for areas that are the most important features for predicting GFAP over NfL concentration. Deep learning models using selected features and demographic information revealed better prediction of GFAP over NfL. Based on feature selection and deep learning methods, FWD was found to be more strongly related to GFAP concentration (measure of astrogliosis) over NfL (measure of neuro-axonal damage), across neurodegenerative disease groups, in terms of predictive performance. Non-invasive markers of neurodegeneration such as MRI structural imaging that can reveal neurodegeneration already exist, while non-invasive markers of neuroinflammation are not available. Our results support the use of FWD as a non-invasive neuroimaging-based biomarker for neuroinflammation.

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly prevalent within interventional radiology (IR) research and clinical practice, steps must be taken to ensure the robustness of novel technological systems presented in peer-reviewed journals. This report introduces comprehensive standards and an evaluation checklist (iCARE) that covers the application of modern AI methods in IR-specific contexts. The iCARE checklist encompasses the full "code-to-clinic" pipeline of AI development, including dataset curation, pre-training, task-specific training, explainability, privacy protection, bias mitigation, reproducibility, and model deployment. The iCARE checklist aims to support the development of safe, generalizable technologies for enhancing IR workflows, the delivery of care, and patient outcomes.

Clinical decision-making is inherently complex, time-sensitive, and prone to error. AI-enabled clinical decision support systems (CDSS) offer promising solutions by leveraging large datasets to provide evidence-based recommendations. These systems range from rule-based and knowledge-based to increasingly AI-driven approaches. However, key challenges persist, particularly concerning data quality, seamless integration into clinical workflows, and clinician trust and acceptance. Ethical and legal considerations, especially data privacy, are also paramount.AI-CDSS have demonstrated success in fields like radiology (e.g., pulmonary nodule detection, mammography interpretation) and cardiology, where they enhance diagnostic accuracy and improve patient outcomes. Looking ahead, chat and voice interfaces powered by large language models (LLMs) could support shared decision-making (SDM) by fostering better patient engagement and understanding.To fully realize the potential of AI-CDSS in advancing efficient, patient-centered care, it is essential to ensure their responsible development. This includes grounding AI models in domain-specific data, anonymizing user inputs, and implementing rigorous validation of AI-generated outputs before presentation. Thoughtful design and ethical oversight will be critical to integrating AI safely and effectively into clinical practice.

The primary aim of this in vitro study was to compare methods for generating 3D-printed replicas through virtual segmentation, utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) or manual processes, by assessing accuracy in terms of volumetric and linear discrepancies. The secondary aims were the assessment of time efficiency with both segmentation methods, and the effect of post-processing on 3D-printed replicas. Thirty teeth were scanned through Cone Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT), capturing the region of interest from human subjects. DICOM files underwent virtual segmentation through both AI and manual methods. Replicas were fabricated with a stereolithography 3D printer. After surface scanning of pre-processed replicas and extracted teeth, STL files were superimposed to compare linear and volumetric differences using the extracted teeth as the reference. Post-processed replicas were scanned to assess the effect of post-processing on linear and volumetric changes. AI-driven segmentation resulted in statistically significant mean linear and volumetric differences of -0.709mm (SD 0.491, P< 0.001) and -4.70%, respectively. Manual segmentation showed no statistically significant differences in mean linear, -0.463mm (SD 0.335, P<0.001) and volumetric (-1.20%) measures. Comparing manual and AI-driven segmentations, AI-driven segmentation displayed mean linear and volumetric differences of -0.329mm (SD 0.566, p=0.003) and -2.23%, respectively. Additionally, AI segmentation reduced the mean time by 21.8 minutes. When comparing post-processed to pre-processed replicas, there was a volumetric reduction of -4.53% and a mean linear difference of -0.151mm (SD 0.564, p=0.042). Both segmentation methods achieved acceptable accuracy, with manual segmentation slightly more accurate but AI-driven segmentation more time-efficient. Continuous improvement in AI offers the potential for increased accuracy, efficiency, and broader application in the future.

To compare the effectiveness of expert-designed machine learning models and code-free automated machine learning (AutoML) models in classifying optical coherence tomography (OCT) images for detecting age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and distinguishing between its dry and wet forms. Custom models were developed by an artificial intelligence expert using the EfficientNet V2 architecture, while AutoML models were created by an ophthalmologist utilizing LobeAI with transfer learning via ResNet-50 V2. Both models were designed to differentiate normal OCT images from AMD and to also distinguish between dry and wet AMD. The models were trained and tested using an 80:20 split, with each diagnostic group containing 500 OCT images. Performance metrics, including sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and F1 scores, were calculated and compared. The expert-designed model achieved an overall accuracy of 99.67% for classifying all images, with F1 scores of 0.99 or higher across all binary class comparisons. In contrast, the AutoML model achieved an overall accuracy of 89.00%, with F1 scores ranging from 0.86 to 0.90 in binary comparisons. Notably lower recall was observed for dry AMD vs. normal (0.85) in the AutoML model, indicating challenges in correctly identifying dry AMD. While the AutoML models demonstrated acceptable performance in identifying and classifying AMD cases, the expert-designed models significantly outperformed them. The use of advanced neural network architectures and rigorous optimization in the expert-developed models underscores the continued necessity of expert involvement in the development of high-precision diagnostic tools for medical image classification.

<i>"Just Accepted" papers have undergone full peer review and have been accepted for publication in <i>Radiology: Artificial Intelligence</i>. This article will undergo copyediting, layout, and proof review before it is published in its final version. Please note that during production of the final copyedited article, errors may be discovered which could affect the content.</i> Purpose To develop and evaluate an open-source deep learning model for detection and localization of breast cancer on MRI. Materials and Methods In this retrospective study, a deep learning model for breast cancer detection and localization was trained on the largest breast MRI dataset to date. Data included all breast MRIs conducted at a tertiary cancer center in the United States between 2002 and 2019. The model was validated on sagittal MRIs from the primary site (<i>n</i> = 6,615 breasts). Generalizability was assessed by evaluating model performance on axial data from the primary site (<i>n</i> = 7,058 breasts) and a second clinical site (<i>n</i> = 1,840 breasts). Results The primary site dataset included 30,672 sagittal MRI examinations (52,598 breasts) from 9,986 female patients (mean [SD] age, 53 [11] years). The model achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.95 for detecting cancer in the primary site. At 90% specificity (5717/6353), model sensitivity was 83% (217/262), which was comparable to historical performance data for radiologists. The model generalized well to axial examinations, achieving an AUC of 0.92 on data from the same clinical site and 0.92 on data from a secondary site. The model accurately located the tumor in 88.5% (232/262) of sagittal images, 92.8% (272/293) of axial images from the primary site, and 87.7% (807/920) of secondary site axial images. Conclusion The model demonstrated state-of-the-art performance on breast cancer detection. Code and weights are openly available to stimulate further development and validation. ©RSNA, 2025.

Cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) is widely used in dentistry, surgery, radiotherapy and other medical fields. However, repeated CBCT scans expose patients to additional radiation doses, increasing the risk of secondary malignant tumors. Low-dose CBCT image reconstruction technology, which employs advanced algorithms to reduce radiation dose while enhancing image quality, has emerged as a focal point of recent research. This review systematically examined deep learning-based methods for low-dose CBCT reconstruction. It compared different network architectures in terms of noise reduction, artifact removal, detail preservation, and computational efficiency, covering three approaches: image-domain, projection-domain, and dual-domain techniques. The review also explored how emerging technologies like multimodal fusion and self-supervised learning could enhance these methods. By summarizing the strengths and weaknesses of current approaches, this work provides insights to optimize low-dose CBCT algorithms and support their clinical adoption.

To address the high computational complexity of the Transformer in the segmentation of ultrasound thyroid nodules and the loss of image details or omission of key spatial information caused by traditional image sampling techniques when dealing with high-resolution, complex texture or uneven density two-dimensional ultrasound images, this paper proposes a thyroid nodule segmentation method that integrates the receiving weighted key-value (RWKV) architecture and spherical geometry feature (SGF) sampling technology. This method effectively captures the details of adjacent regions through two-dimensional offset prediction and pixel-level sampling position adjustment, achieving precise segmentation. Additionally, this study introduces a patch attention module (PAM) to optimize the decoder feature map using a regional cross-attention mechanism, enabling it to focus more precisely on the high-resolution features of the encoder. Experiments on the thyroid nodule segmentation dataset (TN3K) and the digital database for thyroid images (DDTI) show that the proposed method achieves dice similarity coefficients (DSC) of 87.24% and 80.79% respectively, outperforming existing models while maintaining a lower computational complexity. This approach may provide an efficient solution for the precise segmentation of thyroid nodules.

The emergence of new-generation artificial intelligence technology has brought numerous innovations to the healthcare field, including telemedicine and intelligent care. However, the artificial intelligent medical device sector still faces significant challenges, such as data privacy protection and algorithm reliability. This study, based on invention patent analysis, revealed the technological innovation trends in the field of artificial intelligent medical devices from aspects such as patent application time trends, hot topics, regional distribution, and innovation players. The results showed that global invention patent applications had remained active, with technological innovations primarily focused on medical image processing, physiological signal processing, surgical robots, brain-computer interfaces, and intelligent physiological parameter monitoring technologies. The United States and China led the world in the number of invention patent applications. Major international medical device giants, such as Philips, Siemens, General Electric, and Medtronic, were at the forefront of global technological innovation, with significant advantages in patent application volumes and international market presence. Chinese universities and research institutes, such as Zhejiang University, Tianjin University, and the Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, had demonstrated notable technological innovation, with a relatively high number of patent applications. However, their overseas market expansion remained limited. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the technological innovation trends in the artificial intelligent medical device field and offers valuable information support for industry development from an informatics perspective.

The objective of this study is to map the global scientific competitive landscape in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) medical devices using scientific data. A bibliometric analysis was conducted using the Web of Science Core Collection to examine global research trends in AI-based medical devices. As of the end of 2023, a total of 55 147 relevant publications were identified worldwide, with 76.6% published between 2018 and 2024. Research in this field has primarily focused on AI-assisted medical image and physiological signal analysis. At the national level, China (17 991 publications) and the United States (14 032 publications) lead in output. China has shown a rapid increase in publication volume, with its 2023 output exceeding twice that of the U.S.; however, the U.S. maintains a higher average citation per paper (China: 16.29; U.S.: 35.99). At the institutional level, seven Chinese institutions and three U.S. institutions rank among the global top ten in terms of publication volume. At the researcher level, prominent contributors include Acharya U Rajendra, Rueckert Daniel and Tian Jie, who have extensively explored AI-assisted medical imaging. Some researchers have specialized in specific imaging applications, such as Yang Xiaofeng (AI-assisted precision radiotherapy for tumors) and Shen Dinggang (brain imaging analysis). Others, including Gao Xiaorong and Ming Dong, focus on AI-assisted physiological signal analysis. The results confirm the rapid global development of AI in the medical device field, with "AI + imaging" emerging as the most mature direction. China and the U.S. maintain absolute leadership in this area-China slightly leads in publication volume, while the U.S., having started earlier, demonstrates higher research quality. Both countries host a large number of active research teams in this domain.