Artificial intelligence (AI) is having an increasing impact on healthcare. In ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia (UGRA), commercially available devices exist that augment traditional grayscale ultrasound imaging by highlighting key sono-anatomical structures in real-time. We review the latest evidence supporting this emerging technology and consider the opportunities and challenges to its widespread deployment. The existing literature is limited and heterogenous, which impedes full appraisal of systems, comparison between devices, and informed adoption. AI-based devices promise to improve clinical practice and training in UGRA, though their impact on patient outcomes and provision of UGRA techniques is unclear at this early stage. Calls for standardization across both UGRA and AI are increasing, with greater clinical leadership required. Emerging AI applications in UGRA warrant further study due to an opaque and fragmented evidence base. Robust and consistent evaluation and reporting of algorithm performance, in a representative clinical context, will expedite discovery and appropriate deployment of AI in UGRA. A clinician-focused approach to the development, evaluation, and implementation of this exciting branch of AI has huge potential to advance the human art of regional anesthesia.

The aim of the study was to compare the diagnostic quality of deep learning (DL) reconstructed balanced steady-state free precession (bSSFP) single-shot (SSH) cine images with standard, multishot (also: segmented) bSSFP cine (standard cine) in cardiac MRI. This prospective study was performed in a cohort of participants with clinical indication for cardiac MRI. SSH compressed-sensing bSSFP cine and standard multishot cine were acquired with breath-holding and electrocardiogram-gating in short-axis view at 1.5 Tesla. SSH cine images were reconstructed using an industry-developed DL super-resolution algorithm (DL-SSH cine). Two readers evaluated diagnostic quality (endocardial edge definition, blood pool to myocardium contrast and artifact burden) from 1 (nondiagnostic) to 5 (excellent). Functional left ventricular (LV) parameters were assessed in both sequences. Edge rise distance, apparent signal-to-noise ratio (aSNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio were calculated. Statistical analysis for the comparison of DL-SSH cine and standard cine included the Student's t-test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, Bland-Altman analysis, and Pearson correlation. Forty-five participants (mean age: 50 years ±18; 30 men) were included. Mean total scan time was 65% lower for DL-SSH cine compared to standard cine (92 ± 8 s vs 265 ± 33 s; P  < 0.0001). DL-SSH cine showed high ratings for subjective image quality (eg, contrast: 5 [interquartile range {IQR}, 5-5] vs 5 [IQR, 5-5], P  = 0.01; artifacts: 4.5 [IQR, 4-5] vs 5 [IQR, 4-5], P  = 0.26), with superior values for sharpness parameters (endocardial edge definition: 5 [IQR, 5-5] vs 5 [IQR, 4-5], P  < 0.0001; edge rise distance: 1.9 [IQR, 1.8-2.3] vs 2.5 [IQR, 2.3-2.6], P  < 0.0001) compared to standard cine. No significant differences were found in the comparison of objective metrics between DL-SSH and standard cine (eg, aSNR: 49 [IQR, 38.5-70] vs 52 [IQR, 38-66.5], P  = 0.74). Strong correlation was found between DL-SSH cine and standard cine for the assessment of functional LV parameters (eg, ejection fraction: r = 0.95). Subgroup analysis of participants with arrhythmia or unreliable breath-holding (n = 14/45, 31%) showed better image quality ratings for DL-SSH cine compared to standard cine (eg, artifacts: 4 [IQR, 4-5] vs 4 [IQR, 3-5], P  = 0.04). DL reconstruction of SSH cine sequence in cardiac MRI enabled accelerated acquisition times and noninferior diagnostic quality compared to standard cine imaging, with even superior diagnostic quality in participants with arrhythmia or unreliable breath-holding.

Accurate ophthalmic imaging reports, including fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA) and ocular B-scan ultrasound, are essential for effective clinical decision-making. The current process, involving drafting by residents followed by review by ophthalmic technicians and ophthalmologists, is time-consuming and prone to errors. This study evaluates the effectiveness of ChatGPT-4o in auditing errors in FFA and ocular B-scan reports and assesses its potential to reduce time and costs within the reporting workflow. Preliminary 100 FFA and 80 ocular B-scan reports drafted by residents were analyzed using GPT-4o to identify the errors in identifying left or right eye and incorrect anatomical descriptions. The accuracy of GPT-4o was compared to retinal specialists, general ophthalmologists, and ophthalmic technicians. Additionally, a cost-effective analysis was conducted to estimate time and cost savings from integrating GPT-4o into the reporting process. A pilot real-world validation with 20 erroneous reports was also performed between GPT-4o and human reviewers. GPT-4o demonstrated a detection rate of 79.0% (158 of 200; 95% CI 73.0-85.0) across all examinations, which was comparable to the average detection performance of general ophthalmologists (78.0% [155 of 200; 95% CI 72.0-83.0]; P ≥ 0.09). Integration of GPT-4o reduced the average report review time by 86%, completing 180 ophthalmic reports in approximately 0.27 h compared to 2.17-3.19 h by human ophthalmologists. Additionally, compared to human reviewers, GPT-4o lowered the cost from $0.21 to $0.03 per report (savings of $0.18). In the real-world evaluation, GPT-4o detected 18 of 20 errors with no false positives, compared to 95-100% by human reviewers. GPT-4o effectively enhances the accuracy of ophthalmic imaging reports by identifying and correcting common errors. Its implementation can potentially alleviate the workload of ophthalmologists, streamline the reporting process, and reduce associated costs, thereby improving overall clinical workflow and patient outcomes.

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) with low-dose computed tomography (LDCT) has the potential to transform lung cancer screening into a comprehensive approach to early detection of multiple diseases. Building on over 3 decades of research and global implementation by the International Early Lung Cancer Action Program (I-ELCAP), this paper reviews the development and clinical integration of AI for interpreting LDCT scans. We describe the historical milestones in AI-assisted lung nodule detection, emphysema quantification, and cardiovascular risk assessment using visual and quantitative imaging features. We also discuss challenges related to image acquisition variability, ground truth curation, and clinical integration, with a particular focus on the design and implementation of the open-source IELCAP-AIRS system and the ScreeningPLUS infrastructure, which enable AI training, validation, and deployment in real-world screening environments. AI algorithms for rule-out decisions, nodule tracking, and disease quantification have the potential to reduce radiologist workload and advance precision screening. With the ability to evaluate multiple diseases from a single LDCT scan, AI-enabled screening offers a powerful, scalable tool for improving population health. Ongoing collaboration, standardized protocols, and large annotated datasets are critical to advancing the future of integrated, AI-driven preventive care.

To develop and evaluate the clinical feasibility of a dynamic computed tomography (CT) protocol for assessing patellofemoral (PF) and tibiofemoral (TF) kinematics before and after total knee arthroplasty (TKA), and to quantify postoperative kinematic changes in a pilot study. In this prospective single-centre study, patients with primary osteoarthritis scheduled for cemented TKA underwent dynamic CT scans preoperatively and at 1-year follow-up during active flexion-extension-flexion. Preoperatively, the femur, tibia and patella were segmented using a neural network. Postoperatively, computer-aided design (CAD) implant models were aligned to CT data to determine relative implant-bone orientation. Due to metal artefacts, preoperative patella meshes were manually aligned to postoperative scans by four raters, and averaged for analysis. Anatomical coordinate systems were applied to quantify patellar flexion, tilt, proximal tip rotation, mediolateral translation and femoral condyle anterior-posterior translation. Descriptive statistics were reported, and interoperator agreement for patellar registration was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Ten patients (mean age, 65 ± 8 years; 6 men) were analysed across a shared flexion range of 14°-55°. Postoperatively, the patella showed increased flexion (median difference: 0.9°-3.9°), medial proximal tip rotation (median difference: 1.5°-6.0°), lateral tilt (median difference: 2.7°-5.5°), and lateral shift (median difference: -1.5 to -2.8 mm). The medial and lateral femoral condyles translated 2-4 mm anterior-posteriorly during knee flexion. Interoperator agreement for patellar registration ranged from good to excellent across all parameters (ICC = 0.85-1.00). This pilot study demonstrates that dynamic CT enables in vivo assessment of PF and TF kinematics before and after TKA. The protocol quantified postoperative kinematic changes and demonstrated potential as research tool. Further automation is needed to investigate relationships between these kinematic patterns and patient outcomes in larger-scale studies. Level III.

Osteoporosis is an under-screened musculoskeletal disorder that results in diminished quality of life and significant burden to the healthcare system. We aimed to evaluate the ability of Rho, an artificial intelligence (AI) tool, to prospectively identify patients at-risk for low bone mineral density (BMD) from standard x-rays, its adoption rate by radiologists, and acceptance by primary care providers (PCPs). Patients ≥50 years were recruited when undergoing an x-ray of a Rho-eligible body part for any clinical indication. Questionnaires were completed at baseline and 6-month follow-up, and PCPs of "Rho-Positive" patients (those likely to have low BMD) were asked for feedback. Positive predictive value (PPV) was calculated in patients who returned within 6 months for a DXA. Of 1145 patients consented, 987 had x-rays screened by Rho, and 655 were flagged as Rho-Positive. Radiologists included this finding in 524 (80%) of reports. Of all Rho-Positive patients, 125 had a DXA within 6 months; Rho had a 74% PPV for DXA T-Score <-1. From 51 PCP responses, 78% found Rho beneficial. Of 389 patients with follow-up questionnaire data, a greater proportion of Rho-Positive versus -negative patients had discussed bone health with their PCP since study start (36% vs 18%, <i>P</i> < .001), or were newly diagnosed with osteoporosis (11% vs 5%; <i>P</i> = .03). By identifying patients at-risk of low BMD, with acceptability of reporting by radiologists and generally positive feedback from PCPs, Rho has the potential to improve low screening rates for osteoporosis by leveraging existing x-ray data.

To quantify the impact of workflow parameters on time savings in report turnaround time due to an AI triage device that prioritized pulmonary embolism (PE) in chest CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA) examinations. This retrospective study analyzed 11,252 adult CTPA examinations conducted for suspected PE at a single tertiary academic medical center. Data was divided into two periods: pre-artificial intelligence (AI) and post-AI. For PE-positive examinations, turnaround time (TAT)-defined as the duration from patient scan completion to the first preliminary report completion-was compared between the two periods. Time savings were reported separately for work-hour and off-hour cohorts. To characterize radiologist workflow, 527,234 records were retrieved from the PACS and workflow parameters such as examination interarrival time and radiologist read time extracted. These parameters were input into a computational model to predict time savings after deployment of an AI triage device and to study the impact of workflow parameters. The pre-AI dataset included 4,694 chest CTPA examinations with 13.3% being PE-positive. The post-AI dataset comprised 6,558 examinations with 16.2% being PE-positive. The mean TAT for pre-AI and post-AI during work hours are 68.9 (95% confidence interval 55.0-82.8) and 46.7 (38.1-55.2) min, respectively, and those during off-hours are 44.8 (33.7-55.9) and 42.0 (33.6-50.3) min. Clinically observed time savings during work hours (22.2 [95% confidence interval: 5.85-38.6] min) were significant (P = .004), while off-hour (2.82 [-11.1 to 16.7] min) were not (P = .345). Observed time savings aligned with model predictions (29.6 [95% range: 23.2-38.1] min for work hours; 2.10 [1.76, 2.58] min for off-hours). Consideration and quantification of the clinical workflow contributes to the accurate assessment of the expected time savings in report TAT after deployment of an AI triage device.

Contouring organs-at-risk (OARs) is a critical yet time-consuming step in head and neck (HaN) radiotherapy planning. Auto-segmentation methods have been widely studied, and commercial solutions are increasingly entering clinical use. However, their adoption warrants a comprehensive, multi-perspective evaluation. The purpose of this study is to compare three commercial artificial intelligence (AI) software solutions (Limbus, MIM and MVision) for HaN OAR auto-segmentation on a cohort of 10 computed tomography images with reference contours obtained from the public HaN-Seg dataset, from both observational (descriptive and empirical) and analytical (geometric, dosimetric and psychometric) perspectives. The observational evaluation included vendor questionnaires on technical specifications and radiographer feedback on usability. The analytical evaluation covered geometric (Dice similarity coefficient, DSC, and 95th percentile Hausdorff distance, HD95), dosimetric (dose constraint compliance, OAR priority-based analysis), and psychometric (5-point Likert scale) assessments. All software solutions covered a broad range of OARs. Overall geometric performance differences were relatively small (Limbus: 69.7% DSC, 5.0 mm HD95; MIM: 69.2% DSC, 5.6 mm HD95; MVision: 66.7% DSC, 5.3 mm HD95), however, statistically significant differences were observed for smaller structures such as the cochleae, optic chiasm, and pituitary and thyroid glands. Differences in dosimetric compliance were overall minor, with the lowest compliance observed for the oral cavity and submandibular glands. In terms of qualitative assessment, radiographers gave the highest average Likert rating to Limbus (3.9), followed by MVision (3.7) and MIM (3.5). With few exceptions, most software solutions produced good-quality AI-generated contours (Likert ratings ≥ 3), yet some editing should still be performed to reach clinical acceptability. Notable discrepancies were seen for the optic chiasm and in cases affected by mouth bites or dental artifacts. Importantly, no clear relationship emerged between geometric, dosimetric, and psychometric metrics, underscoring the need for a multi-perspective evaluation without shortcuts.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most frequently diagnosed malignancy in men and the eighth leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) has become central to the diagnostic pathway for men at intermediate risk, improving de-tection of clinically significant PCa (csPCa) while reducing unnecessary biopsies and over-diagnosis. However, mpMRI remains limited by false positives, false negatives, and moderate to substantial interobserver agreement. Time-dependent diffusion (TDD) MRI, a novel sequence that enables tissue microstructure characterization, has shown encouraging preclinical performance in distinguishing clinically significant from insignificant PCa. Combining TDD-derived metrics with machine learning may provide robust, zone-specific risk prediction with less dependence on reader training and improved accuracy compared to current standard-of-care. This study protocol out-lines the rationale and describes the prospective evaluation of a home-developed AI-enhanced TDD-MRI software (PROSTDAI) in routine diagnostic care, assessing its added value against PI-RADS v2.1 and validating results against MRI-guided prostate biopsy.

Given the high burden of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), risk stratification in patients with cirrhosis is critical but remains inadequate. In this study, we aimed to develop and validate an HCC prediction model by integrating radiomics and deep learning features from liver and spleen computed tomography (CT) images into the established age-male-ALBI-platelet (aMAP) clinical model. Patients were enrolled between 2018 and 2023 from a Chinese multicenter, prospective, observational cirrhosis cohort, all of whom underwent 3-phase contrast-enhanced abdominal CT scans at enrollment. The aMAP clinical score was calculated, and radiomic (PyRadiomics) and deep learning (ResNet-18) features were extracted from liver and spleen regions of interest. Feature selection was performed using the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator. Among 2,411 patients (median follow-up: 42.7 months [IQR: 32.9-54.1]), 118 developed HCC (three-year cumulative incidence: 3.59%). Chronic hepatitis B virus infection was the main etiology, accounting for 91.5% of cases. The aMAP-CT model, which incorporates CT signatures, significantly outperformed existing models (area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve: 0.809-0.869 in three cohorts). It stratified patients into high-risk (three-year HCC incidence: 26.3%) and low-risk (1.7%) groups. Stepwise application (aMAP → aMAP-CT) further refined stratification (three-year incidences: 1.8% [93.0% of the cohort] vs. 27.2% [7.0%]). The aMAP-CT model improves HCC risk prediction by integrating CT-based liver and spleen signatures, enabling precise identification of high-risk cirrhosis patients. This approach personalizes surveillance strategies, potentially facilitating earlier detection and improved outcomes.