Breathe Easy: A Blog Curated by VIDA

AI-Powered Respiratory Imaging in and Beyond the Era of COVID-19

Written by Marcel Nienhuis | May 8, 2020 6:36:08 PM

A Discussion Between Thoracic Radiologist John Newell, MD, and VIDA CEO Susan Wood, PhD

On May 1, 2020, during AuntMinnie's 2020 Virtual Conference, Dr. Newell and Dr. Wood discussed the evolving role of imaging for COVID-19 and the importance of a holistic, quantitative approach to managing patients with respiratory conditions.  

The two shared COVID-19 case examples, as analyzed by VIDA’s LungPrint solution, in a demonstration of several use cases. The exchange addressed important forward-looking opportunities for ongoing respiratory health management of both recovered COVID-19 patients and patient populations with other forms of lung and airway diseases. Highlights of the talk follow:

The Complexity of Chest CT Interpretation

In this opening clip, Susan asks Dr. Newell for his perspective on why chest CTs are so time consuming to read and if chest CT volumes are likely to rise or fall due to COVID-19.

"The expectation is that as we get back to a more normal healthcare environment, there will be a spike in imaging volume across the board to catch up on non-emergent studies that have been put off. There will also be a rise in chest imaging volume due to the large number of COVID-19 patients who develop complications related to their prior COVID-19 infection."
-John Newell, MD

The Complexity of Reading Chest CT Scans

Professional Societies' Guidance on Imaging & COVID-19

In the following clip, Dr. Newell provides a summary of major professional society guidance as it relates to imaging and COVID-19. Please note that the content herein is a reflection of guidelines as of May 1st; recommendations from researchers and societies continue to evolve quickly.

A Summary of Professional Societies' Recommendations

Comorbidity and COVID-19

Here, Susan and Dr. Newell discuss the impact of comorbidities like COPD and ILD on COVID-19 patients. Dr. Newell cites a recent study that finds COPD to be a major risk factor for COVID-19 progression.

Comorbidity & COVID-19

"The meta-analysis of retrospective studies confirms that COPD is associated with a dramatically increased risk of aggravation in patients with COVID-19. COVID-19 patients with COPD had a 5.9-fold higher risk of progression than patients without COPD."
-Wang, B et al

Long Term Lung Damage for Severe COVID-19 Patients?

The long term effects of COVID-19 on a patient's lungs are not yet fully understood. In this segment, Dr. Newell offers his perspective on the potential of lasting lung damage for patients with a severe COVID-19 infection and/or mechanical ventilation.

"We can expect that CT will be helpful to evaluate these patients that don't recovery fully and have ongoing respiratory impairment."
-John Newell, MD, FACR

Long term considerations for severe COVID-19 patients

LungPrint Case Example 1: COPD/ILD Patient

Respiratory patients don't often stay in "disease swim lanes." It is common for patients with or at risk of COPD to also be at risk of other respiratory conditions like lung cancer, ILD and more. In this case example, we see a patient with both COPD and ILD. Dr Newell walks through the case with the aid of LungPrint Discovery, which provides a unique topographic MPR (tMPR) visualization, along with automated quantification of both high and low density abnormalities. LungPrint helps providers to better understand their patients' unique profile in order to optimize personalized treatment strategies, especially when a mixture of disease is present.

Patient with COPD and ILD

LungPrint Case Example 2: COVID-19 with COPD

In the following segment, Dr. Newell shares a very interesting case of a patient with both acute COVID-19 and underlying COPD using LungPrint Discovery. The ground glass opacities associated with COVID-19 can clearly be seen in the tMPR image (patent pending).

Patient with COVID-19 and COPD

LungPrint Case Example 3: COVID-19

A patient with more advanced COVID-19 is shown in this next case example, once again using LungPrint Discovery with Hyperion View (tMPR). Dr. Newell highlights the significant loss of functional lung tissue and the associated predictive value for COVID-19 progression as noted in a recent study.

COVID-19 Patient

LungPrint Case Example 4: ILD Patient Over 2 Timepoints

LungPrint Discovery enables a quantitative assessment of respiratory health over time, so providers can more precisely measure changes and make more informed care decisions. In a final case demonstration, Dr. Newell shares an example of a patient with interstitial lung disease (ILD) analyzed by LungPrint longitudinally.

Longitudinal Assessment of ILD Patient

Full Talk

The full length discussion between Susan and Dr. Newell that aired on May 1, 2020 is also available, upon request. The complete video includes audience Q&A and other content beyond the highlighted segments above. To receive a link to the full content, please complete the form below and the link will be automatically provided to you via email.





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