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The School of Computing Sciences is committed to having a continuing impact through its work. We work with a number of companies, businesses, schools and government agencies.
Current Projects:
CAVA - Medical Device
The CAVA project (CAVA stands for Continuous Ambulatory Vestibular Assessment) aims to overcome the limitations of the current tests for the causes of dizziness by developing a wearable dizziness monitor from which an accurate diagnosis can be made. CAVA is a collaborative project between CMP and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.
We have developed a device that records a patient’s eye movement signals ‘24/7’. The signals are stored on the device and later analysed using software developed in CMP. We look for different forms of nystagmus, a repetitive flickering of the eyes that accompanies vestibular dysfunction. Analysis of the kind of nystagmus, its frequency, time of occurrence etc. can form the basis of a diagnosis by a clinician, considerably improving the speed and accuracy of current practice.
To date, the project has received over £2M in funding from the Medical Research Council and the National Institute for Health Research, and it is currently undergoing clinical trials in 10 hospitals around the UK. We are in the process of commercialising it and CAVA has been awarded FDA ‘breakthrough status’ for commercialisation in the USA.
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Using Technology to Help the Planet
Computer Vision and AI methods developed at the Colour & Imaging Lab, School of Computing Sciences (CMP), UEA are being used to monitor animal populations.
Utilising computer vision and AI for environmental monitoring, CMP researchers are working with the Scottish Government, Marine Scotland Science, the British Antarctic Survey (BAS), the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Institute of Zoology, Fisheries Management Scotland, Ayrshire River Trust as well as the EU SMARTFISH and EVERYFISH consortia partners to monitor fish catches, migrating fish, swarms of jellyfish, as well as Antarctic and tropical seabird populations.
This work has impacts on protection of threatened species, fish stock assessment, easier policy enforcement and new markets for industrial collaborators.
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Reducing X-Ray Exposure for Surgical Patients
X-ray fluoroscopy is a common type of medical imaging that shows a continuous X-ray image on a monitor. Surgeons use it to guide devices (e.g. wires, catheters and stents) into the target area (e.g. heart) during minimally invasive cardiac surgeries. However, Xray images only produce 2D information, and the extended duration of X-ray radiation exposure is harmful to patients. The aim of this project is to build a new 3D hybrid guidance system which will:
(a) provide 3D information allowing surgeons to act more efficiently reducing treatment time and thus overall X-ray exposure; and
(b) make use of guidance information from the cardiac mapping system other than the X-ray system to significantly reduce the frequency of X-ray exposure.
To develop this system, we will use advanced computer vision techniques to detect devices and extract 3D blood vessel models from X-ray images, and then fuse these with existing 3D models inside the cardiac mapping system to provide the completed information to guide the procedure.
Our proposed system will significantly reduce X-ray radiation exposure. This will benefit patients as X-ray radiation might cause cancer in their later life. Furthermore, our proposed system will shorten the procedure time and reduce the cost of treatment for cardiovascular diseases.
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