ARTIFICIAL intelligence could soon be used to help save lives of heart condition patients, according to new research from the University of Southampton.
Mathematicians at the university say that by using AI to crunch lots of heart activity data, it could pave the way for cardiologists to find the best way to treat their patients.

Dr Alain Zemkoho, associate professor at the University of Southampton, led the study and has now submitted his findings to UK research funder the EPSRC.

He said: “Maths can solve real-world problems. The potential for the tool is very high.

"We hope it can make a difference to people and improve their health outcomes."

While subcutaneous or under-skin cardiac defibrillators (S-ICDs) can be much more effective than traditional pacemakers, they are not suitable for every patient and can cause harm to a minority.

S-ICDs work by shocking patients whenever they detect a need to restore their heart’s natural rhythm. But, the electrical activity in some patient's hearts can trigger unnecessary and potentially harmful shocks.

The established method of identifying whether or not a patient is suitable for an S-ICD involves testing their heart activity for a few seconds with an electrocardiogram.

This method can miss the electrical waves that might cause unneeded shocks, meaning S-ICDs could be given to patients for whom they aren't appropriate.

To reduce this from happening, mathematicians at the University of Southampton have found a way to use a branch of AI called machine learning.

This crunches through huge amounts of heart activity data and finds the patterns that show who could benefit from an S-ICD.

They worked with cardiology researchers to collect and prepare data gathered from 37 patients.

They then used a technique called phase space reconstruction to display this data as a diagram.

From their research they created a tool that can be used to automatically screen patients and provide an in-depth description of their heart's behaviour.

The project is one of more than 100 funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) through its ground-breaking New Horizons programme.

The piloted scheme supports adventurous, high-risk research.

Jane Nicholson, Director for Research Base at EPSRC said: “This is an excellent example that illustrates the way mathematical sciences research can transform lives and help create a healthier, more prosperous society for everyone. 

It is fantastic to see the way our New Horizons scheme has helped fund and fuel this innovative research project.”