A collaborative research team from Andhra Medical College in Visakhapatnam, alongside institutions in the US and UK, assessed the effectiveness of the Swaasa AI platform, an advanced tool for screening respiratory diseases. Developed by Salcit Technologies, it analyzes cough sound patterns using patented technology. In a study involving 355 participants, the system exhibited a remarkable sensitivity of 97.27%, effectively reducing false negatives in detecting respiratory disorders. Although its accuracy was 87.32% for identifying individuals without disorders, this still signifies reliability in minimizing false positives. The platform categorizes respiratory issues into normal, obstructive (asthma, COPD), restrictive (pulmonary fibrosis), or mixed patterns. With respiratory diseases on the rise globally, the researchers emphasize that AI-based screening could alleviate healthcare burdens, especially in remote areas lacking diagnostic facilities. The findings, published in Scientific Reports, highlight the potential of AI in transforming early diagnosis and accessibility in respiratory care.
