Electro-Optical Sciences (EOS) will be the first life
sciences company to use on-demand supercomputing power from IBM to
analyse data collected by a handheld skin-scanning device for
detecting malignant melanoma.
IBM's Deep Computing on demand initiative allows customers to
access supercomputers via the internet whenever the customer needs
that level of computing power.
The idea is to encourage development of applications and
products that require supercomputing technology without the
requirement that expensive supercomputers be bought and
maintained.
"When they need it, we will supply it," David Jursik,
vice-president of sales for IBM Deep Computing said.
The centre, which has Linux and Unix clusters, opened in June
and had attracted customers in the oil industry, although IBM said
that it expected computing on demand would be attractive to life
sciences customers.
The EOS product, called MelaFind, uses statistical pattern
recognition to analyse a database containing more than 20,000
high-resolution images of skin lesions to compare with images taken
during skin scans at doctor's surgeries, said EOS.
Although melanoma accounts for just 4% of skin cancer cases, it
causes 79% of skin cancer deaths and early detection of the disease
is critical.
EOS has developed its device for early detection of malignant
melanoma, but needed a way to analyse data obtained from the scans
quickly and efficiently.
Clinical tests indicate that MelaFind's computational method is
more effective than experienced dermatologists in detecing melanoma
early.
The scanning takes about a minute and then data from the
handheld device is sent to IBM's supercomputing centre where an
analytical engine compares images with those stored in a database.
Within five or 10 minutes, the comparison of images is finished,
Jursik said.
IBM expected companies in other industries to become
computing-on-demand customers, Jursik said. IBM targeted industries
with "obvious" supercomputing needs, but is hearing from companies
in, for instance, online gaming and movies.
IBM also will announce that Paradigm Geotechnology, which
provides petroleum geoscience and drilling technology, has bought
three IBM supercomputers to help create images of deep underground
oil reservoirs that are more accurate than existing models.
The supercomptuers are made up of several hundred IBM Blade
Centre nodes installed in Paradigm's offices in Texas, Woking, UK,
Moscow and Mumbai.
Nancy Weil writes for IDG News Service