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How artificial intelligence is helping to prevent blindness

Machine learning is being used to automate the detection of eye diseases.
  1. Sandeep Ravindran

    1. Sandeep Ravindran is a freelance science writer in New York City, New York.

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Artistic image showing a person wearing glasses surrounded by robotic arms

Credit: Taj Francis

When people with diabetes visit their general practitioner, they’re often referred to an ophthalmologist, who can check their eyes for signs of diabetic retinopathy. The disease damages the light-sensitive layer of tissue at the back of the eye known as the retina and is a leading cause of blindness, resulting in up to 24,000 cases each year in adults in the United States. But when diagnosed before symptoms appear, the disease can usually be managed and the worst outcome avoided. “We know so well how to treat it, but we don’t catch it early enough,” says Michael Abràmoff, a retinal specialist and computer scientist at the University of Iowa in Iowa City.

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doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-019-01111-y

This article is part of Nature Outlook: The eye, an editorially independent supplement.

References

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