TY - CHAP A1 - Mendel, Robert A1 - Rauber, David A1 - Palm, Christoph T1 - Exploring the Effects of Contrastive Learning on Homogeneous Medical Image Data T2 - Bildverarbeitung für die Medizin 2023: Proceedings, German Workshop on Medical Image Computing, July 2– 4, 2023, Braunschweig N2 - We investigate contrastive learning in a multi-task learning setting classifying and segmenting early Barrett’s cancer. How can contrastive learning be applied in a domain with few classes and low inter-class and inter-sample variance, potentially enabling image retrieval or image attribution? We introduce a data sampling strategy that mines per-lesion data for positive samples and keeps a queue of the recent projections as negative samples. We propose a masking strategy for the NT-Xent loss that keeps the negative set pure and removes samples from the same lesion. We show cohesion and uniqueness improvements of the proposed method in feature space. The introduction of the auxiliary objective does not affect the performance but adds the ability to indicate similarity between lesions. Therefore, the approach could enable downstream auto-documentation tasks on homogeneous medical image data. Y1 - 2023 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-41657-7 SP - 128 EP - 13 PB - Springer Vieweg CY - Wiesbaden ER - TY - GEN A1 - Scheppach, Markus W. A1 - Mendel, Robert A1 - Probst, Andreas A1 - Meinikheim, Michael A1 - Palm, Christoph A1 - Messmann, Helmut A1 - Ebigbo, Alanna T1 - Artificial Intelligence (AI) – assisted vessel and tissue recognition during third space endoscopy (Smart ESD) T2 - Zeitschrift für Gastroenterologie N2 - Clinical setting  Third space procedures such as endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) and peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) are complex minimally invasive techniques with an elevated risk for operator-dependent adverse events such as bleeding and perforation. This risk arises from accidental dissection into the muscle layer or through submucosal blood vessels as the submucosal cutting plane within the expanding resection site is not always apparent. Deep learning algorithms have shown considerable potential for the detection and characterization of gastrointestinal lesions. So-called AI – clinical decision support solutions (AI-CDSS) are commercially available for polyp detection during colonoscopy. Until now, these computer programs have concentrated on diagnostics whereas an AI-CDSS for interventional endoscopy has not yet been introduced. We aimed to develop an AI-CDSS („Smart ESD“) for real-time intra-procedural detection and delineation of blood vessels, tissue structures and endoscopic instruments during third-space endoscopic procedures. Characteristics of Smart ESD  An AI-CDSS was invented that delineates blood vessels, tissue structures and endoscopic instruments during third-space endoscopy in real-time. The output can be displayed by an overlay over the endoscopic image with different modes of visualization, such as a color-coded semitransparent area overlay, or border tracing (demonstration video). Hereby the optimal layer for dissection can be visualized, which is close above or directly at the muscle layer, depending on the applied technique (ESD or POEM). Furthermore, relevant blood vessels (thickness> 1mm) are delineated. Spatial proximity between the electrosurgical knife and a blood vessel triggers a warning signal. By this guidance system, inadvertent dissection through blood vessels could be averted. Technical specifications  A DeepLabv3+ neural network architecture with KSAC and a 101-layer ResNeSt backbone was used for the development of Smart ESD. It was trained and validated with 2565 annotated still images from 27 full length third-space endoscopic videos. The annotation classes were blood vessel, submucosal layer, muscle layer, electrosurgical knife and endoscopic instrument shaft. A test on a separate data set yielded an intersection over union (IoU) of 68%, a Dice Score of 80% and a pixel accuracy of 87%, demonstrating a high overlap between expert and AI segmentation. Further experiments on standardized video clips showed a mean vessel detection rate (VDR) of 85% with values of 92%, 70% and 95% for POEM, rectal ESD and esophageal ESD respectively. False positive measurements occurred 0.75 times per minute. 7 out of 9 vessels which caused intraprocedural bleeding were caught by the algorithm, as well as both vessels which required hemostasis via hemostatic forceps. Future perspectives  Smart ESD performed well for vessel and tissue detection and delineation on still images, as well as on video clips. During a live demonstration in the endoscopy suite, clinical applicability of the innovation was examined. The lag time for processing of the live endoscopic image was too short to be visually detectable for the interventionist. Even though the algorithm could not be applied during actual dissection by the interventionist, Smart ESD appeared readily deployable during visual assessment by ESD experts. Therefore, we plan to conduct a clinical trial in order to obtain CE-certification of the algorithm. This new technology may improve procedural safety and speed, as well as training of modern minimally invasive endoscopic resection techniques. KW - Artificial Intelligence KW - Medical Image Computing KW - Endoscopy KW - Bildgebendes Verfahren KW - Medizin KW - Künstliche Intelligenz KW - Endoskopie Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0042-1755110 VL - 60 IS - 08 PB - Georg Thieme Verlag CY - Stuttgart ER - TY - GEN A1 - Roser, D. A. A1 - Meinikheim, Michael A1 - Mendel, Robert A1 - Palm, Christoph A1 - Probst, Andreas A1 - Muzalyova, A. A1 - Scheppach, Markus W. A1 - Nagl, S. A1 - Schnoy, Elisabeth A1 - Römmele, Christoph A1 - Schulz, D. A1 - Schlottmann, Jakob A1 - Prinz, Friederike A1 - Rauber, David A1 - Rückert, Tobias A1 - Matsumura, T. A1 - Fernandez-Esparrach, G. A1 - Parsa, N. A1 - Byrne, M. A1 - Messmann, Helmut A1 - Ebigbo, Alanna T1 - Human-Computer Interaction: Impact of Artificial Intelligence on the diagnostic confidence of endoscopists assessing videos of Barrett’s esophagus T2 - Endoscopy N2 - Aims Human-computer interactions (HCI) may have a relevant impact on the performance of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Studies show that although endoscopists assessing Barrett’s esophagus (BE) with AI improve their performance significantly, they do not achieve the level of the stand-alone performance of AI. One aspect of HCI is the impact of AI on the degree of certainty and confidence displayed by the endoscopist. Indirectly, diagnostic confidence when using AI may be linked to trust and acceptance of AI. In a BE video study, we aimed to understand the impact of AI on the diagnostic confidence of endoscopists and the possible correlation with diagnostic performance. Methods 22 endoscopists from 12 centers with varying levels of BE experience reviewed ninety-six standardized endoscopy videos. Endoscopists were categorized into experts and non-experts and randomly assigned to assess the videos with and without AI. Participants were randomized in two arms: Arm A assessed videos first without AI and then with AI, while Arm B assessed videos in the opposite order. Evaluators were tasked with identifying BE-related neoplasia and rating their confidence with and without AI on a scale from 0 to 9. Results The utilization of AI in Arm A (without AI first, with AI second) significantly elevated confidence levels for experts and non-experts (7.1 to 8.0 and 6.1 to 6.6, respectively). Only non-experts benefitted from AI with a significant increase in accuracy (68.6% to 75.5%). Interestingly, while the confidence levels of experts without AI were higher than those of non-experts with AI, there was no significant difference in accuracy between these two groups (71.3% vs. 75.5%). In Arm B (with AI first, without AI second), experts and non-experts experienced a significant reduction in confidence (7.6 to 7.1 and 6.4 to 6.2, respectively), while maintaining consistent accuracy levels (71.8% to 71.8% and 67.5% to 67.1%, respectively). Conclusions AI significantly enhanced confidence levels for both expert and non-expert endoscopists. Endoscopists felt significantly more uncertain in their assessments without AI. Furthermore, experts with or without AI consistently displayed higher confidence levels than non-experts with AI, irrespective of comparable outcomes. These findings underscore the possible role of AI in improving diagnostic confidence during endoscopic assessment. Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0044-1782859 SN - 1438-8812 VL - 56 IS - S 02 SP - 79 PB - Georg Thieme Verlag ER - TY - GEN A1 - Meinikheim, Michael A1 - Mendel, Robert A1 - Scheppach, Markus W. A1 - Probst, Andreas A1 - Prinz, Friederike A1 - Schwamberger, Tanja A1 - Schlottmann, Jakob A1 - Gölder, Stefan Karl A1 - Walter, Benjamin A1 - Steinbrück, Ingo A1 - Palm, Christoph A1 - Messmann, Helmut A1 - Ebigbo, Alanna T1 - INFLUENCE OF AN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) BASED DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM (DSS) ON THE DIAGNOSTIC PERFORMANCE OF NON-EXPERTS IN BARRETT´S ESOPHAGUS RELATED NEOPLASIA (BERN) T2 - Endoscopy N2 - Aims Barrett´s esophagus related neoplasia (BERN) is difficult to detect and characterize during endoscopy, even for expert endoscopists. We aimed to assess the add-on effect of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithm (Barrett-Ampel) as a decision support system (DSS) for non-expert endoscopists in the evaluation of Barrett’s esophagus (BE) and BERN. Methods Twelve videos with multimodal imaging white light (WL), narrow-band imaging (NBI), texture and color enhanced imaging (TXI) of histologically confirmed BE and BERN were assessed by expert and non-expert endoscopists. For each video, endoscopists were asked to identify the area of BERN and decide on the biopsy spot. Videos were assessed by the AI algorithm and regions of BERN were highlighted in real-time by a transparent overlay. Finally, endoscopists were shown the AI videos and asked to either confirm or change their initial decision based on the AI support. Results Barrett-Ampel correctly identified all areas of BERN, irrespective of the imaging modality (WL, NBI, TXI), but misinterpreted two inflammatory lesions (Accuracy=75%). Expert endoscopists had a similar performance (Accuracy=70,8%), while non-experts had an accuracy of 58.3%. When AI was implemented as a DSS, non-expert endoscopists improved their diagnostic accuracy to 75%. Conclusions AI may have the potential to support non-expert endoscopists in the assessment of videos of BE and BERN. Limitations of this study include the low number of videos used. Randomized clinical trials in a real-life setting should be performed to confirm these results. KW - Artificial Intelligence KW - Barrett's Esophagus KW - Speiseröhrenkrankheit KW - Künstliche Intelligenz KW - Diagnose Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1055/s-00000012 VL - 54 IS - S 01 SP - S39 PB - Thieme ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Meinikheim, Michael A1 - Mendel, Robert A1 - Palm, Christoph A1 - Probst, Andreas A1 - Muzalyova, Anna A1 - Scheppach, Markus Wolfgang A1 - Nagl, Sandra A1 - Schnoy, Elisabeth A1 - Römmele, Christoph A1 - Schulz, Dominik Andreas Helmut Otto A1 - Schlottmann, Jakob A1 - Prinz, Friederike A1 - Rauber, David A1 - Rückert, Tobias A1 - Matsumura, Tomoaki A1 - Fernández-Esparrach, Glòria A1 - Parsa, Nasim A1 - Byrne, Michael F A1 - Messmann, Helmut A1 - Ebigbo, Alanna T1 - Effect of AI on performance of endoscopists to detect Barrett neoplasia: A Randomized Tandem Trial JF - Endoscopy N2 - Background and study aims To evaluate the effect of an AI-based clinical decision support system (AI) on the performance and diagnostic confidence of endoscopists during the assessment of Barrett's esophagus (BE). Patients and Methods Ninety-six standardized endoscopy videos were assessed by 22 endoscopists from 12 different centers with varying degrees of BE experience. The assessment was randomized into two video sets: Group A (review first without AI and second with AI) and group B (review first with AI and second without AI). Endoscopists were required to evaluate each video for the presence of Barrett's esophagus-related neoplasia (BERN) and then decide on a spot for a targeted biopsy. After the second assessment, they were allowed to change their clinical decision and confidence level. Results AI had a standalone sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 92.2%, 68.9%, and 81.6%, respectively. Without AI, BE experts had an overall sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of 83.3%, 58.1 and 71.5%, respectively. With AI, BE nonexperts showed a significant improvement in sensitivity and specificity when videos were assessed a second time with AI (sensitivity 69.7% (95% CI, 65.2% - 74.2%) to 78.0% (95% CI, 74.0% - 82.0%); specificity 67.3% (95% CI, 62.5% - 72.2%) to 72.7% (95 CI, 68.2% - 77.3%). In addition, the diagnostic confidence of BE nonexperts improved significantly with AI. Conclusion BE nonexperts benefitted significantly from the additional AI. BE experts and nonexperts remained below the standalone performance of AI, suggesting that there may be other factors influencing endoscopists to follow or discard AI advice. Y1 - 2024 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1055/a-2296-5696 SN - 0013-726X N1 - Accepted Manuscript PB - Georg Thieme Verlag ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Scheppach, Markus W. A1 - Mendel, Robert A1 - Probst, Andreas A1 - Meinikheim, Michael A1 - Palm, Christoph A1 - Messmann, Helmut A1 - Ebigbo, Alanna T1 - ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) – ASSISTED VESSEL AND TISSUE RECOGNITION IN THIRD-SPACE ENDOSCOPY JF - Endoscopy N2 - Aims Third-space endoscopy procedures such as endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) and peroral endoscopic myotomy (POEM) are complex interventions with elevated risk of operator-dependent adverse events, such as intra-procedural bleeding and perforation. We aimed to design an artificial intelligence clinical decision support solution (AI-CDSS, “Smart ESD”) for the detection and delineation of vessels, tissue structures, and instruments during third-space endoscopy procedures. Methods Twelve full-length third-space endoscopy videos were extracted from the Augsburg University Hospital database. 1686 frames were annotated for the following categories: Submucosal layer, blood vessels, electrosurgical knife and endoscopic instrument. A DeepLabv3+neural network with a 101-layer ResNet backbone was trained and validated internally. Finally, the ability of the AI system to detect visible vessels during ESD and POEM was determined on 24 separate video clips of 7 to 46 seconds duration and showing 33 predefined vessels. These video clips were also assessed by an expert in third-space endoscopy. Results Smart ESD showed a vessel detection rate (VDR) of 93.94%, while an average of 1.87 false positive signals were recorded per minute. VDR of the expert endoscopist was 90.1% with no false positive findings. On the internal validation data set using still images, the AI system demonstrated an Intersection over Union (IoU), mean Dice score and pixel accuracy of 63.47%, 76.18% and 86.61%, respectively. Conclusions This is the first AI-CDSS aiming to mitigate operator-dependent limitations during third-space endoscopy. Further clinical trials are underway to better understand the role of AI in such procedures. KW - Artificial Intelligence KW - Third-Space Endoscopy KW - Smart ESD Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0042-1745037 VL - 54 IS - S01 SP - S175 PB - Thieme ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Römmele, Christoph A1 - Mendel, Robert A1 - Barrett, Caroline A1 - Kiesl, Hans A1 - Rauber, David A1 - Rückert, Tobias A1 - Kraus, Lisa A1 - Heinkele, Jakob A1 - Dhillon, Christine A1 - Grosser, Bianca A1 - Prinz, Friederike A1 - Wanzl, Julia A1 - Fleischmann, Carola A1 - Nagl, Sandra A1 - Schnoy, Elisabeth A1 - Schlottmann, Jakob A1 - Dellon, Evan S. A1 - Messmann, Helmut A1 - Palm, Christoph A1 - Ebigbo, Alanna T1 - An artificial intelligence algorithm is highly accurate for detecting endoscopic features of eosinophilic esophagitis JF - Scientific Reports N2 - The endoscopic features associated with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) may be missed during routine endoscopy. We aimed to develop and evaluate an Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithm for detecting and quantifying the endoscopic features of EoE in white light images, supplemented by the EoE Endoscopic Reference Score (EREFS). An AI algorithm (AI-EoE) was constructed and trained to differentiate between EoE and normal esophagus using endoscopic white light images extracted from the database of the University Hospital Augsburg. In addition to binary classification, a second algorithm was trained with specific auxiliary branches for each EREFS feature (AI-EoE-EREFS). The AI algorithms were evaluated on an external data set from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (UNC), and compared with the performance of human endoscopists with varying levels of experience. The overall sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of AI-EoE were 0.93 for all measures, while the AUC was 0.986. With additional auxiliary branches for the EREFS categories, the AI algorithm (AI-EoEEREFS) performance improved to 0.96, 0.94, 0.95, and 0.992 for sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and AUC, respectively. AI-EoE and AI-EoE-EREFS performed significantly better than endoscopy beginners and senior fellows on the same set of images. An AI algorithm can be trained to detect and quantify endoscopic features of EoE with excellent performance scores. The addition of the EREFS criteria improved the performance of the AI algorithm, which performed significantly better than endoscopists with a lower or medium experience level. KW - Artificial Intelligence KW - Smart Endoscopy KW - eosinophilic esophagitis Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:898-opus4-46928 VL - 12 PB - Nature Portfolio CY - London ER - TY - GEN A1 - Römmele, Christoph A1 - Mendel, Robert A1 - Rauber, David A1 - Rückert, Tobias A1 - Byrne, Michael F. A1 - Palm, Christoph A1 - Messmann, Helmut A1 - Ebigbo, Alanna T1 - Endoscopic Diagnosis of Eosinophilic Esophagitis Using a deep Learning Algorithm T2 - Endoscopy N2 - Aims Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) is easily missed during endoscopy, either because physicians are not familiar with its endoscopic features or the morphologic changes are too subtle. In this preliminary paper, we present the first attempt to detect EoE in endoscopic white light (WL) images using a deep learning network (EoE-AI). Methods 401 WL images of eosinophilic esophagitis and 871 WL images of normal esophageal mucosa were evaluated. All images were assessed for the Endoscopic Reference score (EREFS) (edema, rings, exudates, furrows, strictures). Images with strictures were excluded. EoE was defined as the presence of at least 15 eosinophils per high power field on biopsy. A convolutional neural network based on the ResNet architecture with several five-fold cross-validation runs was used. Adding auxiliary EREFS-classification branches to the neural network allowed the inclusion of the scores as optimization criteria during training. EoE-AI was evaluated for sensitivity, specificity, and F1-score. In addition, two human endoscopists evaluated the images. Results EoE-AI showed a mean sensitivity, specificity, and F1 of 0.759, 0.976, and 0.834 respectively, averaged over the five distinct cross-validation runs. With the EREFS-augmented architecture, a mean sensitivity, specificity, and F1-score of 0.848, 0.945, and 0.861 could be demonstrated respectively. In comparison, the two human endoscopists had an average sensitivity, specificity, and F1-score of 0.718, 0.958, and 0.793. Conclusions To the best of our knowledge, this is the first application of deep learning to endoscopic images of EoE which were also assessed after augmentation with the EREFS-score. The next step is the evaluation of EoE-AI using an external dataset. We then plan to assess the EoE-AI tool on endoscopic videos, and also in real-time. This preliminary work is encouraging regarding the ability for AI to enhance physician detection of EoE, and potentially to do a true “optical biopsy” but more work is needed. KW - Eosinophilic Esophagitis KW - Endoscopy KW - Deep Learning Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0041-1724274 VL - 53 IS - S 01 PB - Georg Thieme Verlag CY - Stuttgart ER - TY - GEN A1 - Scheppach, Markus W. A1 - Rauber, David A1 - Mendel, Robert A1 - Palm, Christoph A1 - Byrne, Michael F. A1 - Messmann, Helmut A1 - Ebigbo, Alanna T1 - Detection Of Celiac Disease Using A Deep Learning Algorithm T2 - Endoscopy N2 - Aims Celiac disease (CD) is a complex condition caused by an autoimmune reaction to ingested gluten. Due to its polymorphic manifestation and subtle endoscopic presentation, the diagnosis is difficult and thus the disorder is underreported. We aimed to use deep learning to identify celiac disease on endoscopic images of the small bowel. Methods Patients with small intestinal histology compatible with CD (MARSH classification I-III) were extracted retrospectively from the database of Augsburg University hospital. They were compared to patients with no clinical signs of CD and histologically normal small intestinal mucosa. In a first step MARSH III and normal small intestinal mucosa were differentiated with the help of a deep learning algorithm. For this, the endoscopic white light images were divided into five equal-sized subsets. We avoided splitting the images of one patient into several subsets. A ResNet-50 model was trained with the images from four subsets and then validated with the remaining subset. This process was repeated for each subset, such that each subset was validated once. Sensitivity, specificity, and harmonic mean (F1) of the algorithm were determined. Results The algorithm showed values of 0.83, 0.88, and 0.84 for sensitivity, specificity, and F1, respectively. Further data showing a comparison between the detection rate of the AI model and that of experienced endoscopists will be available at the time of the upcoming conference. Conclusions We present the first clinical report on the use of a deep learning algorithm for the detection of celiac disease using endoscopic images. Further evaluation on an external data set, as well as in the detection of CD in real-time, will follow. However, this work at least suggests that AI can assist endoscopists in the endoscopic diagnosis of CD, and ultimately may be able to do a true optical biopsy in live-time. KW - Celiac Disease KW - Deep Learning Y1 - 2021 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0041-1724970 N1 - Digital poster exhibition VL - 53 IS - S 01 PB - Georg Thieme Verlag CY - Stuttgart ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Ebigbo, Alanna A1 - Mendel, Robert A1 - Probst, Andreas A1 - Meinikheim, Michael A1 - Byrne, Michael F. A1 - Messmann, Helmut A1 - Palm, Christoph T1 - Multimodal imaging for detection and segmentation of Barrett’s esophagus-related neoplasia using artificial intelligence JF - Endoscopy N2 - The early diagnosis of cancer in Barrett’s esophagus is crucial for improving the prognosis. However, identifying Barrett’s esophagus-related neoplasia (BERN) is challenging, even for experts [1]. Four-quadrant biopsies may improve the detection of neoplasia, but they can be associated with sampling errors. The application of artificial intelligence (AI) to the assessment of Barrett’s esophagus could improve the diagnosis of BERN, and this has been demonstrated in both preclinical and clinical studies [2] [3]. In this video demonstration, we show the accurate detection and delineation of BERN in two patients ([Video 1]). In part 1, the AI system detects a mucosal cancer about 20 mm in size and accurately delineates the lesion in both white-light and narrow-band imaging. In part 2, a small island of BERN with high-grade dysplasia is detected and delineated in white-light, narrow-band, and texture and color enhancement imaging. The video shows the results using a transparent overlay of the mucosal cancer in real time as well as a full segmentation preview. Additionally, the optical flow allows for the assessment of endoscope movement, something which is inversely related to the reliability of the AI prediction. We demonstrate that multimodal imaging can be applied to the AI-assisted detection and segmentation of even small focal lesions in real time. KW - Video KW - Artificial Intelligence KW - Multimodal Imaging Y1 - 2022 U6 - https://doi.org/10.1055/a-1704-7885 VL - 54 IS - 10 PB - Georg Thieme Verlag CY - Stuttgart ET - E-Video ER -