The ophthalmic industry produces millions of medical images every hour. They are essential for the correct diagnostics, treatment, and long-term monitoring of ocular conditions. More than that, sometimes only ophthalmic imaging can show minor, early, or rare pathologies and pathological signs which are not visible in the process of standard examination.
In a world where more than 1 billion people are experiencing preventable blindness according to IAPB, this can constitute a huge problem. More than that, there is a clear shortage of eye care specialists in the world which is why only digitalization and automation can help to deal with this challenge.
However, retina image analysis is one of the most complex and time-consuming tasks for every eye care specialist. It requires knowledge, experience, and skills to interpret ophthalmic images correctly. Many ophthalmologists and optometrists feel uncertain about the correct interpretation of retina scans and need a second opinion when dealing with complex retina images.
There are several types of retina images, but Optical Coherence Tomography is definitely gaining momentum today. It is the most accurate and the most efficient method of diagnostics. However, OCT scans are difficult to interpret:
That is where artificial intelligence can come to play: powered with AI, OCT analysis can be much more accurate and effective than everyday manual assessment. More than that, AI for
More than that, there are already tools on the market that can help eye care specialists with automated OCT scan interpretation. Today each and every eye care specialist, ophthalmologist, or optometrist, can make his/her work more productive. What are the benefits of artificial intelligence for eye care professionals?
- Second opinion when dealing with complex, controversial OCT scans which are regular in ophthalmic practice
- Less time on differentiating between pathological and non-pathological scans
- The possibility to detect minor, early, and rare pathologies on OCT scans.
All in all, AI for OCT can unburden ophthalmologists and optometrists from routine work and leave them more time and space to communicate with patients. Being with a patient as a human being, emphasizing, and listening attentively is healing in its own sense. AI in optometry and ophthalmology is the new era for the eye care industry.