Artificial-intelligence-based Reporting Technology for Endoscopy Monitoring and Imaging System

This study aims to compare withdrawal time precision calculated by an AI system with examiner-reported times during colonoscopy, also evaluating endoscopists' satisfaction with the images included in the AI-generated reports. The study will be single-center and endoscopist-blinded, where 138 patients are expected to be recruited, taking polyp detection rates and potential dropouts into consideration. Manual annotation of withdrawal times from examination recordings will establish gold standard annotations. The AI system performs a frame-by-frame analysis of endoscopy recordings, predicting endoscopic findings. Using a rule-based logic, the method calculates withdrawal time for the examination and automatically generates a report for the examination. The study will include consenting adult patients eligible for colonoscopy, excluding those meeting specific criteria.

In this observational study, the withdrawal time for the examinations of all recruited patients is estimated by both the physician and the AI method. The study does not relate to any particular indication, and any patient that is appointed for a colonoscopy and does not meet the exclusion criteria can be recruited. The AI method operates in the background, having no influence on the examination's process, or outcome. The standard procedure requires physicians to estimate the withdrawal time and document it in the examination report. Simultaneously, the proposed AI method also computes the withdrawal time for all patients in the background, without affecting the physician, the examination, or the outcomes of the examination. Importantly, the physician remains blinded to the AI model's output.

To establish the gold standard withdrawal time, manual calculations will be performed using the recorded examination data for all patients. This gold standard is used for evaluating errors in withdrawal time estimation made by both the physician and the AI method. Subsequently, a comparative analysis is conducted to assess the disparities between the physician's estimations and those of the AI method.

Furthermore, the AI method captures characteristic images of anatomical landmarks and notable events, such as polyp resections, during the examination. A panel of certified endoscopists will rigorously evaluate the quality and relevance of these selected images.