The Launch of a New Brain MRI Analysis Tool on Fugaku Supercomputer
A new development has been announced by GMO Research Activity Support & Technology, Inc. and Fujitsu Limited. They have successfully created a service on Fujitsu’s Computing as a Service (CaaS) platform that will make use of research findings from the supercomputer Fugaku in March 2024. This service will provide an analysis platform for brain MRI data using software and data developed in collaboration with Japan’s Fugaku, a top-performing supercomputer, accessible on the cloud through Fujitsu’s CaaS platform.
Testing and Potential Impact
During the period of October 2023 to February 2024, the Brain Connectomics Imaging Team at RIKEN’s Biosystems Dynamics Research Center trialed the service. It is believed that this tool will aid in the early and automated diagnosis of conditions like dementia.
Creating a “Digital Brain” for Advancements in Neurological Research
In March 2024, Japan’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) will initiate the “Integrated Neuroscience Program.” This six-year research project aims to develop drugs for dementia treatment. The project seeks to develop digital twin models for simulating and predicting pathological conditions, as well as establish a “digital brain” as a research platform. However, converting raw MRI data into usable image data for analysis poses a significant hurdle, requiring extensive preprocessing.
Collaboration and Innovation
Fujitsu has partnered with GMO Research Activity Support & Technology to overcome these obstacles. The latter, specializing in AI and big data in the medical field, has been selected as a co-creation partner in the “Fujitsu Accelerator Program for CaaS.” Together, they are conducting research into large-scale medical data analysis using HPC systems like Fugaku.
Service Details and Benefits
GMO Research Activity Support & Technology has introduced an analysis environment that streamlines the development of brain MRI analysis AI tools by preprocessing open and closed data quickly and efficiently. This preprocessing function corrects motion, reduces noise, and more, significantly reducing processing times. Utilizing Fugaku’s research findings, the processing time for brain MRI data for thousands of patients has been slashed from two years to just two days. This service enables users to access supercomputing resources on Fujitsu’s CaaS platform, facilitating the rapid development of new AI tools in the medical sector.
Significance of the Initiative
This initiative marks a milestone as it is the first time that software and data derived from Fugaku research will be made available to service users through Fujitsu’s CaaS platform. Previously, there were no platforms to offer the outcomes of Fugaku-based research activities as services to end-users.