Fighting corona with machine learning

The Technical University of Munich (TUM) is starting five new research projects that focus on the coronavirus and the search for new active ingredients. For example, the use of algorithms could ensure a more precise classification of the illness in the future. New therapeutic methods and the targeted prevention of the long-term effects will also be researched in other projects. The Bavarian Research Foundation (BFS) is funding the projects with around € 1.5 million.

With their own funding focus, the Bavarian Research Foundation wants to accelerate research on the novel coronavirus in the state of Bavaria and contribute to the containment and fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Five interdisciplinary TUM project proposals passed the application procedure with success and will now be funded, including one project of Prof. Marcus R. Makowski, Director of the Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology at the university hospital Klinikum rechts der Isar and MSB-PI.

Computer tomography and machine learning to classify the Covid-19 pulmonary disease

The Covid-19 pulmonary disease is a novel viral pulmonary inflammation. With low-dose computer tomography (CT) of the lungs, not only can infections be detected, but doctors can also see the extent to which the lungs are affected, something which they cannot do with a standard Covid laboratory test. Low-dose CTs require only a small amount of radiation. The aim of the project “The Early Detection and Classification of Covid-19 Pneumonia by Means of Computer Tomography and Machine Learning” is to apply machine learning methods to low-dose CTs of Covid-19 patients in order to perform an individual, automated detection, quantification and risk evaluation of the disease. The intention is that at the end of the project carried out at the university hospital Klinikum rechts der Isar, the web-based algorithms that have been developed could be rolled out to and used in other hospitals.

The project is led by Prof. Marcus R. Makowski, Director of the Institute for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology at the university hospital Klinikum rechts der Isar and member of the Munich School of BioEngineering. In addition, the Chair of Computer Aided Medical Procedures & Augmented Reality, Prof. Nassir Navab, who carries out research at the Munich School of Robotics and Machine Intelligence, and Siemens Healthineers AG will also be involved in this project. The foundation has granted € 682,000 of funding for this project.

Find the original press release on all five funded projects on TUM's central webpage.