OU Health Brings Applied Artificial Intelligence to Stroke Care in Oklahoma

As a leader in stroke care, OU Health is bringing the first computer-aided triage system approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to the Comprehensive Stroke Center at OU Health University of Oklahoma Medical Center.

The new technology promises significantly improved health outcomes by accelerating diagnosis and treatment after an individual with a suspected stroke arrives at the center. The software uses a cloud-based artificial intelligence (AI) system that automatically analyzes computed tomography scans for suspected large vessel occlusions (LVOs). An LVO is a type of ischemic stroke that occurs when a large artery in the brain is blocked.

Synchronizing the AI-powered imaging analysis with a real-time communication platform through a phone app, a more optimized workflow is possible, ensuring the right patient is seen by the most appropriate specialist without delay.

“When a patient arrives with a suspected stroke, two things are of critical importance — coordination and time,” said Evgeny Sidorov, M.D., Ph.D., director of OU Health’s Comprehensive Stroke Center. “This new AI-backed technology allows our team to collaborate together in real time to make the diagnosis and develop the treatment plan quicker.”

This stroke care platform will allow OU Health to further enhance the power of its stroke care team through faster detection and notification of suspected LVO strokes and beyond. Further, it will allow care teams to securely communicate to achieve synchronized care and determine the optimal patient treatment decision.

“This platform can potentially save critical minutes, even hours, in the triage, diagnosis and treatment of strokes,” said Hakeem Shakir, M.D., a neurosurgeon with OU Health’s Comprehensive Stroke Center. “It will change the trajectory of how we care for patients, saving lives and improving outcomes.”

OU Health's Comprehensive Stroke Center offers the highest level of stroke care, setting high goals for administration of IV tPA within 30 minutes, and for endovascular thrombectomy within 60 minutes of patient arrival.