IBM Research recently announced Melbourne-based researchers are training the IBM supercomputer Watson to recognize abnormalities in retina images, which could in the future offer doctors greater insights and speed in their early identification of patients who may be at risk of eye diseases such as glaucoma.
Since 2015, researchers in Australia have reportedly been applying deep learning and image analytics capabilities to 88,000 de-identified retina images accessed through EyePACS®, to analyze key anomalies of the eye. The aim of researchers is to streamline some of the manual processes doctors currently go through, such as evaluating the quality of retina scans and ranking possible indicators of glaucoma.
The research has reportedly demonstrated Watson's ability to accurately measure the ratio of the optic cup to disc with statistical performance as high as 95 percent. The technology has also reportedly been trained to distinguish between left and right eye images — with up to 94 percent confidence — which are important for downstream analysis and for the development effective treatment programs.
According to IBM, its team plans to continue to improve its research over time and expand it to detect features of other eye diseases, such as diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).
Image courtesy IBM Research
Click here to read the full press release.
Click here to read about the research on IBM Research's blog.
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