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Dantas de Oliveira A, Rubio Maturana C, Zarzuela Serrat F, Carvalho BM, Sulleiro E, Prats C, Veiga A, Bosch M, Zulueta J, Abelló A, Sayrol E, Joseph-Munné J, López-Codina D. Development of a low-cost robotized 3D-prototype for automated optical microscopy diagnosis: An open-source system. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0304085. [PMID: 38905190 PMCID: PMC11192333 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0304085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/23/2024] Open
Abstract
In a clinical context, conventional optical microscopy is commonly used for the visualization of biological samples for diagnosis. However, the availability of molecular techniques and rapid diagnostic tests are reducing the use of conventional microscopy, and consequently the number of experienced professionals starts to decrease. Moreover, the continuous visualization during long periods of time through an optical microscope could affect the final diagnosis results due to induced human errors and fatigue. Therefore, microscopy automation is a challenge to be achieved and address this problem. The aim of the study is to develop a low-cost automated system for the visualization of microbiological/parasitological samples by using a conventional optical microscope, and specially designed for its implementation in resource-poor settings laboratories. A 3D-prototype to automate the majority of conventional optical microscopes was designed. Pieces were built with 3D-printing technology and polylactic acid biodegradable material with Tinkercad/Ultimaker Cura 5.1 slicing softwares. The system's components were divided into three subgroups: microscope stage pieces, storage/autofocus-pieces, and smartphone pieces. The prototype is based on servo motors, controlled by Arduino open-source electronic platform, to emulate the X-Y and auto-focus (Z) movements of the microscope. An average time of 27.00 ± 2.58 seconds is required to auto-focus a single FoV. Auto-focus evaluation demonstrates a mean average maximum Laplacian value of 11.83 with tested images. The whole automation process is controlled by a smartphone device, which is responsible for acquiring images for further diagnosis via convolutional neural networks. The prototype is specially designed for resource-poor settings, where microscopy diagnosis is still a routine process. The coalescence between convolutional neural network predictive models and the automation of the movements of a conventional optical microscope confer the system a wide range of image-based diagnosis applications. The accessibility of the system could help improve diagnostics and provide new tools to laboratories worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allisson Dantas de Oliveira
- Computational Biology and Complex Systems Group, Physics Department, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Castelldefels, Spain
- Microbiology Department, Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Carles Rubio Maturana
- Microbiology Department, Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Microbiology and Genetics, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Francesc Zarzuela Serrat
- Microbiology Department, Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Bruno Motta Carvalho
- Department of Informatics and Applied Mathematics, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Elena Sulleiro
- Microbiology Department, Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Microbiology and Genetics, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain
- CIBERINFEC, ISCIII- CIBER de Enfermedades Infecciosas, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain
| | - Clara Prats
- Computational Biology and Complex Systems Group, Physics Department, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Castelldefels, Spain
| | | | | | | | - Alberto Abelló
- Database Technologies and Information Group, Service and Information Systems Engineering Department, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Elisa Sayrol
- Tecnocampus, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Mataró, Spain
| | - Joan Joseph-Munné
- Microbiology Department, Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR), Vall d’Hebron University Hospital, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Daniel López-Codina
- Computational Biology and Complex Systems Group, Physics Department, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), Castelldefels, Spain
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Tovani-Palone MR, Bistagnino F, Antonino JR, Subramanian A. Possible role of artificial intelligence in diagnosis of cases with non-specific signs and symptoms of dengue: A comment. Clinics (Sao Paulo) 2024; 79:100388. [PMID: 38754223 PMCID: PMC11126762 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinsp.2024.100388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Marcos Roberto Tovani-Palone
- Department of Pharmacy and Pharmacology, SRM College of Pharmacy, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chennai, India.
| | - Filippo Bistagnino
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine, International Medical School, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Jacopo Rosso Antonino
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy
| | - Arunkumar Subramanian
- Department of Pharmacology, SRM College of Pharmacy, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, Kattankulathur, Chennai, India
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Meulah B, Oyibo P, Hoekstra PT, Moure PAN, Maloum MN, Laclong-Lontchi RA, Honkpehedji YJ, Bengtson M, Hokke C, Corstjens PLAM, Agbana T, Diehl JC, Adegnika AA, van Lieshout L. Validation of artificial intelligence-based digital microscopy for automated detection of Schistosoma haematobium eggs in urine in Gabon. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2024; 18:e0011967. [PMID: 38394298 PMCID: PMC10917302 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0011967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Schistosomiasis is a significant public health concern, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. Conventional microscopy is the standard diagnostic method in resource-limited settings, but with limitations, such as the need for expert microscopists. An automated digital microscope with artificial intelligence (Schistoscope), offers a potential solution. This field study aimed to validate the diagnostic performance of the Schistoscope for detecting and quantifying Schistosoma haematobium eggs in urine compared to conventional microscopy and to a composite reference standard (CRS) consisting of real-time PCR and the up-converting particle (UCP) lateral flow (LF) test for the detection of schistosome circulating anodic antigen (CAA). METHODS Based on a non-inferiority concept, the Schistoscope was evaluated in two parts: study A, consisting of 339 freshly collected urine samples and study B, consisting of 798 fresh urine samples that were also banked as slides for analysis with the Schistoscope. In both studies, the Schistoscope, conventional microscopy, real-time PCR and UCP-LF CAA were performed and samples with all the diagnostic test results were included in the analysis. All diagnostic procedures were performed in a laboratory located in a rural area of Gabon, endemic for S. haematobium. RESULTS In study A and B, the Schistoscope demonstrated a sensitivity of 83.1% and 96.3% compared to conventional microscopy, and 62.9% and 78.0% compared to the CRS. The sensitivity of conventional microscopy in study A and B compared to the CRS was 61.9% and 75.2%, respectively, comparable to the Schistoscope. The specificity of the Schistoscope in study A (78.8%) was significantly lower than that of conventional microscopy (96.4%) based on the CRS but comparable in study B (90.9% and 98.0%, respectively). CONCLUSION Overall, the performance of the Schistoscope was non-inferior to conventional microscopy with a comparable sensitivity, although the specificity varied. The Schistoscope shows promising diagnostic accuracy, particularly for samples with moderate to higher infection intensities as well as for banked sample slides, highlighting the potential for retrospective analysis in resource-limited settings. TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT04505046 ClinicalTrials.gov.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brice Meulah
- Leiden University Center for Infectious Diseases (LUCID), Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Centre de Recherches Médicales des Lambaréné, CERMEL, Lambaréné, Gabon
| | - Prosper Oyibo
- Mechanical, Maritime and Material Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Pytsje T. Hoekstra
- Leiden University Center for Infectious Diseases (LUCID), Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Paul Alvyn Nguema Moure
- Centre de Recherches Médicales des Lambaréné, CERMEL, Lambaréné, Gabon
- Ecole doctorale régionale d’Afrique centrale en infectiologie tropicale de Franceville, Gabon
| | | | | | - Yabo Josiane Honkpehedji
- Leiden University Center for Infectious Diseases (LUCID), Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Centre de Recherches Médicales des Lambaréné, CERMEL, Lambaréné, Gabon
- Fondation pour la Recherche Scientifique, Cotonou, Benin
| | - Michel Bengtson
- Leiden University Center for Infectious Diseases (LUCID), Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Cornelis Hokke
- Leiden University Center for Infectious Diseases (LUCID), Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Paul L. A. M. Corstjens
- Department of Cell and Chemical Biology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Temitope Agbana
- Mechanical, Maritime and Material Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Carel Diehl
- Industrial Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Delft, The Netherlands
| | - Ayola Akim Adegnika
- Leiden University Center for Infectious Diseases (LUCID), Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Centre de Recherches Médicales des Lambaréné, CERMEL, Lambaréné, Gabon
- Ecole doctorale régionale d’Afrique centrale en infectiologie tropicale de Franceville, Gabon
- Fondation pour la Recherche Scientifique, Cotonou, Benin
- Institut fur Tropenmedizin, Universitat Tubingen, Tubingen, Germany
| | - Lisette van Lieshout
- Leiden University Center for Infectious Diseases (LUCID), Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
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