Russian Direct Investment Fund starts COVID-19 diagnostics using AI technology

A computed tomography scan

MOSCOW, April 24. /TASS/: The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) has launched a project to diagnose and detect pneumonia, including that caused by the SARS-COV-2 coronavirus, using CT scans combined with the Russian-UAE artificial intelligence (AI) technology developed in partnership between Group 42 (G42), UAE’s leading technology company, RDIF and Medscan Group, Russia's network of medical centers, the Fund said in a statement on Friday.

To implement the project, RDIF has created a joint venture with Medscan, specializing in radiology and laboratory diagnosis, and treatment of cancer using radiation and drug therapy.

"Within the framework of the RDIF and Medscan partnership, the All-Russian Competence Centre for remote analysis and recognition of CT scans using AI technologies will be created. Several leading Russian private and state multidisciplinary clinics have already shown interest in using the JV’s technologies," the statement reads.

The Russian-UAE AI technology is more than 96% accurate with a high sensitivity to detect signatures of pneumonia, according to RDIF. "It has been tested on numerous patients with suspected SARS-COV-2 coronavirus in Hubei Province, China. The system enables automatic pneumonia detection within 1-2 minutes after taking the picture. The analysis of the CT scans will be processed exclusively on computer servers in Russia in accordance with national legislation," the Fund said.