Space tech tackles health issues back on Earth

The projects are backed by £5m of funding from the UK Space Agency to mark the 70^th anniversary of the creation of the NHS. One million pounds has been awarded to EARTH SCAN (Early diAgnosis Real-Time Healthcare System for CANcer), a system developed by University College London (UCL) researchers that uses AI to support doctors in identifying bowel cancer. The technology relies on secure, high-speed satellite communications combined with bespoke data compression software normally reserved for space missions. As it is a cloud-based AI, it can be deployed reliably anywhere across the planet.

“We are moving into a new era of healthcare where Artificial Intelligence (AI) will support doctors to identify and diagnose cancer faster and more effectively,” said Peter Mountney of Odin Vision, the UCL spinout bringing the system to market.

“The EARTH SCAN project is an exciting opportunity to use satellite technology to bring this AI support to doctors in real time. Real-time support means doctors can make immediate decisions regarding treatment and patients can receive the results of their scan straight away instead of waiting weeks.”