Latest news with #USFHealth
Yahoo
24-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
USF doctor enters final year of research to see if AI can detect vocal diseases
The Brief A USF doctor is in the final year of a four-year program to determine if AI can be used to detect vocal diseases. Dr. Yael Bensoussan, a laryngologist, helped establish the Bridge2AI project in 2022. She drew on a past career as a singer, which she gave up after being diagnosed with nodules. TAMPA, Fla. - Three years into a project using artificial intelligence and voice to detect diseases and disorders, a University of South Florida laryngologist is ready for the next step in helping patients. Voice is personal for Dr. Yael Bensoussan, who was a singer before joining the medical field and USF Health. What they're saying "I had a disease of the vocal cord that's called nodules, which I had to stop for a while and get treatment for. So, I've always been very passionate about the voice in general and what it can tell about our emotions, [and] our health," said Bensoussan, an assistant professor of otolaryngology at USF Health and co-principal investigator of the Bridge2AI Voice project. PREVIOUS: USF becomes one of four universities with new AI voice course aimed at detecting certain health conditions Since 2022, Bensoussan has been studying how artificial intelligence can detect health conditions through voice. "We work in the emergency department. It's always very interesting to interview people in the emergency department. We work in outpatient clinics to build all those datasets," said Bensoussan. Dig deeper The Bridge2AI Voice project is the focus of a three-day symposium, bringing together AI industry leaders and medical professionals in Tampa. "A few months ago, we had our first data release. We learned a lot from what people were doing with that data. Now, we have our second data release," said Bensoussan. "Hopefully, in the next month, we'll learn a lot about the feedback that people are giving us." Big picture view Doctors, clinicians and researchers are using her data to create models to diagnose patients for things like Alzheimer's disease, heart disease or even mental health disorders. "Can they use it? Is it hard to make discoveries? Is it hard to use? Can somebody with not a lot of knowledge about AI use it? Or do you have to have a lot of knowledge about AI to use it?" asked Bensoussan. The National Institutes of Health has funded the four-year project. For her final year, Bensoussan said she will transition from a hospital setting to visiting patients in their own homes across the U.S. and Canada. READ: Plane crashes after veering off runway, sparking brush fire in Myakka City "A lot of people with chronic diseases, unfortunately, have to go to the hospital multiple times a month, and they never know when it's time for them to go to the doctor, right?" said Bensoussan. What's next Once doctors confirm it works, she said the next step is to get FDA approval, which will create real-life solutions for people's health. "That's really the goal, right? We're all developing tech. If we can't implement it, then it doesn't benefit the patient," said Bensoussan. CLICK HERE:>>>Follow FOX 13 on YouTube Bensoussan said some examples of those in-home solutions are smartwatches that can detect when you're about to fall or when to go to the emergency room, all based on your voice. USF Health and Weill Cornell Medicine worked to release the first clinically validated voice dataset from the NIH-funded "Voice as a Biomarker of Health" project. It featured over 12,500 recordings from 306 participants for use in health research. The Source FOX 13's Briona Arradondo collected the information in this story. WATCH FOX 13 NEWS LIVE: STAY CONNECTED WITH FOX 13 TAMPA: Download the FOX Local app for your smart TV Download FOX Local mobile app: Apple | Android Download the FOX 13 News app for breaking news alerts, latest headlines Download the SkyTower Radar app Sign up for FOX 13's daily newsletter
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Riverview man gets 1st direct heart donation at Tampa General Hospital
TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Bob Humphrey, 66, of Riverview, said he will live the rest of his life with purpose after a heart-broken family made a unique offer that changed his life. At the start of 2025, Humphrey had weeks to live. Cruise ship carrying 169 norovirus patients docks in Florida 'I was counting the days down, and I was feeling my heart dying,' he said. Humphrey had coronary artery disease, which has caused the death of several men in his family. Close Thanks for signing up! Watch for us in your inbox. Subscribe Now 'You know that your heart is giving out, and you know that you probably will die in your sleep,' he said. Humphrey shared his story on social media with the hashtag #journeytoahearttransplant. Allegiant announces flights to 7 new destinations from Sarasota-Bradenton airport A family from Wisconsin was following along. Humphrey was first in contact with them in June 2022 when they wanted to buy a German Shepherd from his private kennel. He did not have any puppies at the time, but the families kept in touch. In early January, Humphrey received a Facebook message from Pam Hendrickson. Her 28-year old son EJ Hendrickson, a father of two, died in a car crash. She wanted Humphrey to have his heart. 'When she said I would like to give you his heart, I was totally lost for words,' Humphrey said. 'What do you say when someone is giving you the gift of life? Because remember, I was scheduled to die.' The transplant teams in Tampa and Wisconsin quickly sprang into action. Defying all odds, Humphrey and Hendricks were a perfect match. 'Number one, nobody gives you a heart,' Humphrey said. 'Number two having all the markers match 100% is just phenomenal. It just doesn't happen.' The heart was flown from Wisconsin to Tampa overnight in a first of its kind surgery for the chief of cardiothoracic surgery at Tampa General Hospital and USF Health, Dr. Lucian Lozonschi. 'This is the first time I've had this situation with a direct donation from donor family to a specific recipient,' said Dr. Lozonschi. 'Unusual way but a very fair and legal way.' With a healthy heart, Humphrey, a great-grandfather, can expect to live for several more decades. 'I looked at my grandson the other day, and it dawned on me I was going to get to see him graduate,' said Humphrey. In a statement, Pam Hendrickson said her son 'had a huge love for his family. Family was everything to EJ. Everything he did involved family, hunting, fishing, water parks. He had wanted to donate a kidney to a good friend a couple years back. Unfortunately they were not a good match. So we knew he would want to help other families not have to go through what we are.' In total, Hendrickson's organs saved six lives. 'The family wants to know that that heart went to someone who would take care of it so you pay by taking care of that heart,' said Humphrey. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
