JERUSALEM, April 3 (Xinhua) -- Two Israeli startup companies have used artificial intelligence (AI) technology to develop contactless methods to diagnose coronavirus, using light or voice, Hebrew-language newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported Friday.
The first device, developed by Newsight Imaging company, is a mobile kit to detect the virus in the saliva using only a light source, within seconds.
The company estimates that within three months the new development can be used in clinics for the diagnosis of coronavirus.
The device developed by Newsight is the size of a computer mouse, with a tiny hole for inserting the test tube with a saliva sample.
The device is wirelessly connected to the Internet and features an AI interface that allows it to be constantly updated, for example, in case the virus has mutated.
Newsight Imaging, located in the central city of Ness Ziona, specializes in providing three-dimensional (3D) portable image sensing.
The second method was developed by Vocalis Health company, headquartered in the coastal city of Tel Aviv. It develops AI-based platforms that use voice to evaluate an individual's health status.
The new method is a remote voice test done from home, through a phone call, for an initial diagnosis of coronavirus symptoms.
According to the report, the company has begun testing the new method in three hospitals in Israel, in collaboration with the Administration for the Development of Weapons and Technological Infrastructure at Israel's Ministry of Defense.
In the experiments, conducted through a dedicated application, voice samples of coronavirus patients are collected to find a unique vocal "fingerprint" that will allow early detection of the disease.
