Four B.C. companies have received funding to test AI-enabled solutions to improve health care in the province.
Quartech Systems Ltd., Affinity Group, Novatone Consulting Ltd. and Daric Clouding Solutions were awarded $2.83 million from Innovate BC, according to a Wednesday announcement.
The fund will support testing the use of artificial intelligence in pathology, including its impact on workflows in anatomical pathology for prostate cancer, and developing AI algorithms for endometrial cancer pathology at Vancouver Coastal Health.
It also aims to help improve access to diagnostic services for British Columbians with diseases such as cancer, according to the announcement.
"These four digital pathology projects highlight B.C.'s commitment to tackling health care challenges with made-in-B.C. solutions that create good jobs and grow our economy,” B.C. Innovation Minister Diana Gibson said in a statement.
The funding comes through the province’s Integrated Marketplace initiative, which aims to boost the adoption of local innovations.
The B.C. government announced in May a $1.8-million investment in the Integrated Marketplace to fund two AI innovation projects, including one evaluating how to integrate AI into digital pathology workflows to help analyze digital images of tissue sample slides.
