NIO Super Specialty Hospital recently published a study in the European Journal of Ophthalmology, one of the top ranked ophthalmology publications globally. The study highlights how smartphone based (AI) systems demonstrated high accuracy in detecting major eye diseases like diabetic retinopathy, AMD and glaucoma.
The study titled Smartphone-based offline AI for multi-disease retinal screening: Real-world accuracy is co-authored by Dr Aditya Kelkar, Dr Jai Kelkar, Dr Yash Garg, Dr Harsh Jain, and Dr. Sabyasachi Sengupta from the NIO Super Specialty Hospital. It 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.
Sharing his insights on the study, Dr Aditya Kelkar, Director, NIO Super Specialty Hospital 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 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 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. “Our core objective is to positively impact the millions of lives in India who are increasingly at the risk of Diabetic Retinopathy, Glaucoma and AMD. 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. Further the exceptional imaging quality delivered by these compact smartphone-attached devices has been clinically certified as the ‘Gold Standard of Imaging,’ providing strong medical evidence that complements traditional methods and actively aids in reducing the substantial burden of avoidable blindness throughout the nation,” added Dr Jai Kelkar, Director, NIO Super Specialty Hospital.
The doctors highlighted that the system is not compatible with all smartphones. 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 hardware and software are both developed by Remidio Innovative Solutions, Bengaluru.
The publication of the study in a reputed international journal further strengthens the credibility and deep knowledge of the doctors at NIO Super Specialty Hospital. Utilizing their 100 years of legacy experience and knowledge, the doctors affirmed to conduct similar studies to explore application of such technologies in other fields of diagnosis and treatment as well.