Hong Kong Utilizes AI for Eye Disease Analysis

Researchers from the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) have developed an AI model to tackle clinical tasks in ophthalmology, such as screening and diagnosing diseases, according to SCMP.

VisionFM effectively identifies and predicts a range of eye diseases. It is expected to facilitate the creation of more clinical applications with additional data, as stated in the published work.

The neural network demonstrated effectiveness comparable to or surpassing that of mid-level ophthalmologists in diagnosing 12 eye diseases. It outperformed the foundational model RETFound in predicting and tracking the progression of glaucoma, the researchers highlighted.

The development of VisionFM occurs amid the growing use of artificial intelligence in medical research.

In February, scientists at the University of California discovered a method to predict Alzheimer’s disease seven years before symptoms appear. In March, the University of Ottawa announced the use of AI models for cardiovascular disease research.

In June, a new artificial intelligence model achieved 98.2% accuracy in detecting 13 different types of cancer based on DNA data from tissue samples.

Later, scientists from the University of Florida developed an AI system that effectively monitors the progression of Parkinson’s disease through patients’ hand movements.