Key Highlights:
- Derm Assist will help people in learning about common skin concerns
- The tool recently received clinical validation and has been CE marked as a Class I medical device in the EU
- The tool has been incorporated with 288 dermatological conditions that has been reviewed by dermatologists
Tailored for every skin type
More than billions of people suffer from some kind of dermatological issues regularly, be it minute or extreme. Most of these people seek out Google’s help in detecting and learning about the issues, while a few seek dermatological consultation. However, sometimes it becomes impossible to specify each symptom as it is difficult to describe through words what one might be experiencing or witnessing. To address the concern, Google has announced its plan to launch an AI-powered dermatology assist tool that will help people with learning about their issues related to skin, hair and nails.
The AI-Powered Dermatological Tool
Google revealed that the tech giant company had been working on developing an application, since the past three year, that will help people who are looking for assistance with dermatological issues. The web-based application tool, Derm Assist, will help people to learn more about their skin concerns and seek answers to basic questions related to common skin problems. Google is planning to launch the application as a pilot later in 2021.
In its blog, Google addressed that, “Each year we see almost ten billion Google Searches related to skin, nail and hair issues. Two billion people worldwide suffer from dermatologic issues, but there’s a global shortage of specialists. While many people’s first step involves going to a Google Search bar, it can be difficult to describe what you’re seeing on your skin through words alone.”
Google’s Derm Assist
Upon launching Derm Assist, one can use their phone’s camera to click three images of the concerned area from different angles. Based on knowledge of 288 dermatological conditions that are imported into the application, the tool will ask questions to narrow down possibilities and detect symptoms. Based on further analysis, it will list out probable matchings for treatment or further research.
The tool has been configured with dermatologist-reviewed information along with suitable images from the web and answers to some commonly asked questions. It does not intend to provide diagnosis or substitution for medical advice as some issues require medical attention. “The tool is not intended to provide a diagnosis nor be a substitute for medical advice as many conditions require clinician review, in-person examination, or additional testing like a biopsy. Rather we hope it gives you access to authoritative information so you can make a more informed decision about your next step,” clarified Google.
Salient Features of Derm Assist
Google’s Derm Assist has been tailored for every skin type of every age, sex and race. Its model has been developed and curated with de-identified data incorporating around 65,000 images and case data of diagnosed skin conditions, millions of curated skin concern images and thousands of examples of healthy skin – across different demographics.
In its blog post, Google confirmed that the AI model powering Derm Assist has recently received clinical validation and has been CE marked as a Class I medical device in the EU. The company further commented that it is planning to work more on the tool so that people can use it to seek answers for basic questions about common skin concerns.
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