Singapore, 20 May 2025 – The National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS) announces a major advancement in cardiac care research with the implementation of SENSE (Singapore hEart lesioN analySEr), a nationwide AI initiative that reduces the time taken to analyse cardiac scans, from hours to minutes. This breakthrough system will transform the detection and prediction of coronary artery disease (CAD) through advanced machine learning technology.
The NHCS CardioVascular Systems Imaging and Artificial Intelligence (CVS.AI) Research Laboratory1 is spearheading SENSE, a project co-led with A*STAR Institute for Infocomm Research (A*STAR I2R), which implements sophisticated computational capabilities and algorithms that can automatically interpret cardiac imaging scans and evaluate CAD risk within minutes – a process that traditionally requires two to four hours of specialist analysis.
SENSE will be deployed at three major healthcare institutions – NHCS, National University Hospital, and Tan Tock Seng Hospital – in the third quarter of 2025. This implementation represents a crucial step forward in addressing CAD, which currently accounts for nearly one-third of cardiovascular-related deaths in Singapore.
DEDICATED FACILITY TO ADVANCE AI TECHNOLOGY IN CARDIAC IMAGING
From an initial small setup in 2021, the NHCS CVS.AI Research Laboratory has now relocated to a new purpose-built facility spanning 164 square metres, ready to operate SENSE. The facility houses state-of-the-art AI-powered machine learning software and an expanded fleet of high-performance Graphics Processing Units (GPUs). This enhanced infrastructure enables real-time processing of large datasets, significantly improving the accuracy of disease prediction models.
“This new facility marks a significant milestone in our AI capabilities,” said Assoc Prof Zhong Liang, Co-Director and Core Technical Lead of CVS.AI, and Principal Investigator and Senior Clinician-Innovator, National Heart Research Institute Singapore, NHCS. “With the enhanced infrastructure, we are well poised to enhance and strengthen our AI algorithms using the big data we collect and analyse.”
The CVS.AI Research Laboratory will apply sophisticated AI algorithms to process patient data, generating instant and precise insights that can guide clinicians in both prediction and prevention of cardiovascular disease. This advancement can potentially help in the translation and development of effective diagnostic tools and treatment strategies, ultimately leading to improved health outcomes for patients.
KEY MILESTONE: FROM PROJECT APOLLO TO SENSE
In 2021, the Laboratory embarked on the nationwide project, APOLLO2: AI-driven national Platform for CT cOronary angiography for clinicaL and industriaL applicatiOns, aimed to revolutionise the interpretation of Computerised Tomography (CT) scans through AI – in terms of improving accuracy, speed and details of scans. The AI models and user interface powering APOLLO’s integration and visualisation capabilities were developed by the A*STAR Bioinformatics Institute (A*STAR BII) and A*STAR Institute for Infocomm Research (A*STAR I2R). A*STAR BII led the development of AI analytics for non-contrast CT scans, detecting calcium build-up and fat tissues without contrast dye, making it safer for patients with kidney issues or allergies to contrast agents and allowing faster, less evasive screening. Meanwhile, A*STAR I2R focused on AI and imaging analytics for CT Coronary Angiograms, which use contrast dye to reveal detailed blood vessel structure and function, helping clinicians better assess blockages. Together, these innovations equip doctors with more precise tools for early diagnosis and improved patient outcomes.
Over the past four years, APOLLO has built a database of cardiac information, collecting CT scans from approximately 5,000 patients across Singapore’s three largest cardiac institutions. The goal was to assess the feasibility and usability of AI in diagnosis and treatment of CAD. This extensive repository now contains nearly three million images alongside comprehensive clinical data, creating a robust foundation specifically calibrated for Singapore's population.
Now, NHCS is advancing to the next phase with SENSE. Building on APOLLO's groundwork, SENSE introduces sophisticated AI algorithms and patented post-processing technologies.
SENSE analyses four key determinants of CAD: (1) coronary calcium scores, (2) epicardial adipose tissue, (3) stenosis, and (4) plaque from CT scan, and transforms the clinical workflow by automating the analysis process. CT images of patients are transmitted directly to dedicated AI workstations where they are automatically processed by APOLLO-developed AI modules, with results delivered to clinicians within 10 minutes – a significant improvement from the typical two to four hours required for specialist interpretation. This represents a 30-fold increase in efficiency, potentially leading to earlier disease detection and more timely interventions.
"SENSE represents a major leap forward in both efficiency and diagnostic accuracy," said Assistant Professor Lohendran Baskaran, Director and Core Clinical Lead of CVS.AI, and Senior Consultant, Department of Cardiology, NHCS. " More importantly, SENSE provides high precision in predicting CAD, allowing clinicians to implement timely and appropriate intervention and treatment strategies.”
CAD is a significant contributor to mortality in Singapore, accounting for almost a third of cardiovascular-related deaths3, SENSE is expected to play a crucial role in early detection and prediction of the disease and equips healthcare providers with powerful tools for proactive patient management.
“NHCS has made remarkable strides in AI innovation; transforming complex cardiovascular data into practical diagnostic and treatment strategies. Our collaboration with national agencies and local healthcare institutions creates a synergistic approach to patient care. SENSE represents not just technological progress, but a significant step toward enhancing healthcare delivery for our Singapore population,” said Professor Yeo Khung Keong, Chief Executive Officer, NHCS.
“A key focus of our work is advancing AI technologies that create real-world impact. Through the SENSE project, we developed AI models and intuitive tools that enable faster, more precise interpretation of cardiac scans. This supports clinicians in making timely, informed decisions and underscores how AI can improve healthcare outcomes and delivery for Singapore’s population,” said Dr Sun Sumei, Executive Director, A*STAR I2R.
SENSE is supported by SingHealth and A*STAR’s Healthcare Translation Partnership (HTP) while APOLLO was awarded A*STAR’s Industry Alignment Fund – Pre-Positioning Programme (IAF-PP).
References:
NHCS Launches New Artificial Intelligence (AI) Driven Research Laboratory in Cardiac Imaging
APOLLO is led by NHCS in collaboration with Duke-NUS Medical School, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) and National University Hospital (NUH)
Ministry of Health
Media Contact
Ms Belinda Lim
National Heart Centre Singapore
Email: belinda.lim.s.m@nhcs.com.sg
Ms Amy Weng
National Heart Centre Singapore
Email: amy.weng.xueqi@nhcs.com.sg
About the National Heart Centre Singapore
The National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS) is a leading national and regional referral centre for cardiovascular diseases, offering 185 beds and a comprehensive range of cardiac care services from preventive to rehabilitative. Ranked #12 as the World’s Best Cardiology Hospital by Newsweek 2025, NHCS’s clinical outcomes are consistently recognised at the international level, meeting or exceeding global standards. It is also the only facility in Singapore providing heart transplantation programme.
As an academic medical centre, NHCS is committed to training healthcare professionals and advancing cardiovascular health through cutting-edge translational research in collaboration with local and international collaborators.
For more information, please visit: www.nhcs.com.sg
Factsheet
APOLLO (AI-driven national Platform for CT cOronary angiography for clinicaL and industriaL applicatiOns)
APOLLO is a collaboration between the National Heart Centre Singapore (NHCS), Duke-NUS Medical School, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), National University Hospital and Tan Tock Seng Hospital. It is an AI-driven platform for computed tomography coronary angiography (CTCA) for clinical, research and industrial applications. CTCA is the most comprehensive 3D non-invasive imaging to diagnose coronary artery disease.
The system consists of four modules which can perform different AI analyses on CT images and provide detailed AI-generated reports on patients’ conditions and their risk of cardiovascular disease. The four modules identify and report the following parameters that determine the risk of cardiovascular disease:
Calcium Score
Epicardial Adipose Tissue
Coronary Stenosis (narrowing of blood vessels)
Type, Volume and Characteristics of Coronary Plaque (cholesterol, fatty substances, waste products, etc. that can clog or damage arteries)
The key benefits include reduced variability in reporting, shorter processing time, greater detail in reporting and being specific to Asian population.
SENSE (Singapore hEart lesioN analySEr)
SENSE is an AI-driven machine learning software system that can detect threatening heart conditions early. It is driven by the NHCS Cardiovascular Systems Imaging and Artificial Intelligence (CVS.AI) research laboratory, together with APOLLO’s collaborators.
There are three stages in the deployment of SENSE which will be completed over two years:
Pilot: In the first and current phase, SENSE will use AI algorithms and patented post-processing technologies to provide accurate measurements and assessments for the key parameters highlighted in APOLLO, namely, coronary calcium scores, epicardial adipose tissue, coronary stenosis, and plaque from CT scans. These key determinants of CAD can be evaluated and interpreted in minutes.
Evaluation: The cost effectiveness, accuracy and consistency of results provided by SENSE will be measured.
Validation: In the final phase, SENSE will be further fine-tuned to ensure it performs well against new data and to further improve its accuracy and reliability before being integrated into clinical settings.
After successful evaluation and validation, SENSE will be incorporated into AI-enabled clinics at NHCS as part of clinical workflow in managing cardiovascular disease.
Annex A
The following images show the visual reports of (A) coronary calcium scores, (B) epicardial adipose tissue, (C) coronary stenosis, and (D) plaque of CT scans using the APOLLO-developed AI modules for SENSE.
(A) Coronary calcium score report
(B) Epicardial adipose tissue report
(C) Coronary stenosis report
(D) Coronary plaque report
Click here to view resolution images for A-D
Suggested Caption: CT images of patients are transmitted directly to a SENSE AI workstation and automatically processed by APOLLO-developed AI modules. The results, as shown above, are generated into a report, and provided to the clinician within 10 minutes, speeding up image analysis significantly by up to 30 times and potentially improving prediction of coronary artery disease.
An example of a report provided to the clinician:
Suggested caption:
With SENSE, an AI-generated report is produced within minutes for the clinician, significantly speeding up image analysis and interpretation, and potentially enhancing the prediction and diagnosis of coronary artery disease.
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