Affordable AI-enabled point-of-care tool for quick oral cancer checks
Official title: Point of Care Detection and Diagnosis of Oral Cancer using a Low Cost Imaging Module enabled by AI
Funded at Ge Medical Systems Information Technologies, INC · NIH-11535396 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A low-cost AI-powered imaging module helps clinicians screen for oral cancer at the point of care, especially in community and resource-limited settings.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Ge Medical Systems Information Technologies, INC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Niskayuna, United States) |
| Project start | September 13, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $211,127 |
| NIH project number | 3U01CA291666-03S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11535396 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals at risk for oral cancer or with suspicious oral lesions in community and under-resourced settings.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without oral lesions or those who do not have access to pathology confirmation may not benefit directly.
What this research studies
This project aims to create and test a portable, automated telecytology system that can screen oral lesions for cancer risk right where patients first seek care. The team will develop affordable hardware and AI software, deploy it in real-world community sites, and evaluate how well it identifies high-risk lesions for timely referral. The approach focuses on making screening faster, easier, and more accessible, so people don’t have to travel far for an initial assessment. If successful, the platform could streamline pathways to definitive diagnosis and treatment, potentially improving outcomes for patients with oral cancer.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the platform could enable earlier detection and faster referrals, improving survival chances for patients with oral cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Earlier studies show promise for AI-assisted cancer screening, but this project uniquely combines low-cost hardware with telecytology in diverse community settings.
Where this research is happening
-
Ge Medical Systems Information Technologies, INC
Niskayuna, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ginty, Fiona — Ge Medical Systems Information Technologies, INC
- Study coordinator: Ginty, Fiona
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.