AI will be used to diagnose eye problems in the future

Since the emergence of AI and machine learning, we have seen how this technology has revolutionized (and is still revolutionizing) areas like medicine, education, space travel e.t.c. With the concepts of singularity been thrown around here and there, I can't help but ask, will there ever come a time when it will be impossible to tell humans and machines alike.

[Image available under the Wikipedia domain license by National Eye Institute of the NIH: A fundus photo showing intermediate age-related macular degeneration]

We have seen in science fiction movies how AI is applied in ways that are applied in ways that we have not even imagined, in the present however, we are seeing some of those applications coming to light in present day.

The application of AI in medicine has made some ground breaking revolutions, in the diagnoses of certain ailments, AI has been trained to think like doctors in making accurate diagnoses of certain ailments. This could make medicare available in rural areas, where there is shortage of qualified medical personnel.

AI is getting better at doing things done by humans and soon Artificial Intelligence will be used to diagnose eye problems in patients. AI algorithms can diagnose eye diseases by looking images, and it can ascertain with a certain level of accuracy the possibility of having eye problems. A new AI algorithm examines a part of the eyes known as the retinal fundus to detect the possibility of cardiovascular problems.

How Google's Machine learning algorithm uses deep learning to detect common forms of blindness

The algorithm developed by google researchers can look at retinal images and detect eye conditions like Diabetic Retinopathy, which is caused by damage to the blood vessels in the tissues of the eyes. It can lead to blurry vision, difficulty in perceiving colours etc.

The condition can be diagnosed by a specialist when images of the patients retina are examined for signs of bleeding and fluid leakage. Diagnoses by AI could lead to a more efficient and reliable diagnoses and this could improve the quality of medical care.

The power of machine learning, gives AI the ability to learn how to make more accurate diagnoses. This means that the program will keep evolving and improving in other to give better diagnoses. A team of researchers at google DeepMind is using deep learning techniques to teach computers to read tomography scans for signs of macular degeneration, which is a deterioration of the side of the retina, brought about due to old age.

Deep learning can be applied to other areas of medicine that depend on image analysis, especially in areas like neurology, cardiology and radiology.

Conclusion

Using artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques will no doubt open doors in other areas of medicine learning and not just for the diagnoses of eye problems. We have seen the emergence of an AI algorithm that can detect the possibility of having cardiovascular diseases by looking at pictures from eyes. This can even be taken a step further by making diagnoses by using cameras to scan directly into people's eyes.

Whether or not this will replace doctors remains to be seen. Will this technology serve as a tool that will help doctors make better diagnoses, just as calculators help us carry out calculations easily, or will they become so good that we will not see the need for human doctors?

References

• In the future, an AI may diagnose eye problems
• AI may quickly diagnose eye diseases, pneumonia: Study
• An AI Ophthalmologist Shows How Machine Learning May Transform Medicine
• Macular degeneration