From the source
Google Research is sharing how its chest X-ray algorithms moved from research benchmarks to a certified clinical tool and open foundation models for TB screening, presented at IDWeek 2026 in Washington, D.C.
- The work began with a 2019 Radiology benchmark showing deep learning could detect active pulmonary TB at levels matching experienced radiologists, followed by a 2021 Stop TB Partnership evaluation in The Lancet Digital Health that ranked the model among the top-performing TB screening algorithms globally.
- Partner Nexus AI, a Pretoria-based medical technology company, translated the algorithms into a certified diagnostic tool, achieving CE MDR class IIb certification and ISO 13485 compliance, and signed an agreement with FIND to pursue WHO Pre-qualification.
- The device screens chest X-rays for lung diseases like TB in as little as 45 seconds, and Nexus Intelligence now operates in roughly 40 healthcare facilities across six countries, where over 90 clinicians have evaluated more than 25,000 chest radiographs.
- Nexus AI has delivered more than 3,000 free screenings to under-resourced public clinics, toward a goal of 10,000 sponsored screenings annually.
- At the Mponeng Gold Mine in South Africa, ultra-portable digital X-ray kits and offline AI were deployed four kilometers underground with the Stop TB Partnership, Harmony Gold Mine and the South African Department of Health.