PUNE: A recently published study in the European Journal of Ophthalmology highlights how smartphone based (AI) systems demonstrated high accuracy in detecting major eye diseases.The study co-authored by Pune doctors evaluates and confirms the diagnostic accuracy of a multi-disease offline artificial intelligence (Medios-AI, MAI) system integrated into a smartphone-based fundus camera.Through this innovation advanced eye disease screening can now be made more accessible and affordable, especially for people living in rural and resource-limited areas of India, said experts.Sharing his insights on the study, Dr Aditya Kelkar, Director, NIO Super Specialty Hospital and one of the authors of the study said, “At present, the system is validated for detecting Diabetic Retinopathy, Glaucoma and AMD. While AI technology helps for detecting additional retinal diseases, each new condition requires independent algorithm development validation and regulatory approval before clinical use. Thereby, there is a scope for the expansion of this technology to be able to detect more retinal conditions.”The authors of the study, titled Smartphone-based offline AI for multi-disease retinal screening: Real-world accuracy, included Dr. Aditya Kelkar, Dr. Jai Kelkar, Dr. Yash Garg, Dr. Harsh Jain and Dr. Sabyasachi Sengupta from the NIO Super Specialty Hospital.The study was conducted among 193 adults, examining 371 eyes aged 18 years and above in Pune.The doctors evaluated that the Remidio Fundus on Phone (FoP) platform integrated with Medios AI Multi-Disease software, an offline AI system, is capable of screening for eye conditions like Diabetic Retinopathy (DR), Glaucoma, and Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD).This platform functions entirely offline unlike many AI systems that require internet connectivity making it especially suitable for outreach camps and teleophthalmology initiatives in underserved areas.The Remidio Fundus on Phone is an external optical fundus camera attachment which is attached to a validated and compatible smartphone approved by Remidio Innovative Solutions to ensure standardized image quality and reliable AI performance.The Medios AI system has received regulatory approval from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) in India for clinical use and also carries European Class II medical device certification.The present study presented strong evidence that such smartphone-based AI systems can complement traditional diagnostic methods and help reduce the burden of avoidable blindness in India, said ophthalmologists.Dr. Jai Kelkar, Director, NIO Super Specialty Hospital said, “These cutting edge AI systems like FOP-NM integrated into compatible smartphones helps in faster, and accurate screening of most of the eye related diseases. This is particularly critical for bridging the gap in rural & remote areas where traditional diagnostics infrastructure and internet connectivity are mostly unavailable.”
