Low-cost AI imaging to detect mouth cancer early
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-11398003 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A portable, affordable AI-enabled imaging tool that screens people for oral (mouth) cancer and helps get those with suspicious findings referred to care quickly.
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 | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $211,128 |
| NIH project number | 3U01CA291666-02S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11398003 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with mouth sores, lumps, red/white patches, or other suspicious oral lesions—especially those living in rural or underserved communities and willing to provide a brush biopsy sample—would be ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without any suspicious oral lesions or those who cannot or will not provide a brush biopsy sample or access local participating clinics are unlikely to benefit directly.
What this research studies
From your point of view, a small device would be used to collect a simple brush biopsy from a mouth sore or suspicious area and scan the sample on-site. The scanned images are sent to the cloud where an AI algorithm and remote pathologists review them to give a rapid result. If the result looks concerning, the program aims to create an immediate referral pathway so you can see a specialist sooner. The project focuses on use in community and rural clinics where access to pathology services is limited.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could lead to much earlier detection of oral cancer and faster access to treatment for people in underserved areas.
How similar studies have gone: Related telecytology and AI-assisted pathology approaches have shown promise for cancer screening, but this low-cost, point-of-care combination for oral cancer is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
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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.