BANGALORE, India, March 12, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --
A new study published in the international Nature Eye Journal demonstrates very high sensitivity for detecting Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) (95.8%) and Sight-threatening DR (99.1%) using Remidio's Fundus on Phone (FOP) device - an FDA 510k registered and CE marked smartphone-based retinal imaging device and Eyenuk's EyeArt Artificial Intelligence algorithm
Diabetes, a problem affecting more than 422 million globally, may lead to a sight threatening condition called Diabetic Retinopathy (DR). 90% of the vision loss due to DR is preventable by early detection and timely treatment. Screening for DR has not been possible primarily due to two key challenges: (a) High Cost of Retinal Imaging Devices (b) Lack of access to specialist eye doctors, e.g., only 15,000 specialists are available to screen more than 70 million diabetics in India.
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Remidio Innovative Solutions based in Bangalore, India has disrupted the field of retinal imaging with their high quality, portable devices. The Remidio Fundus on Phone (FOP) that works on smartphones, weighs 1/20th the size of conventional systems, costs just 1/5th the price, and can image without pupil dilation.
Until recently, DR could only be detected by ophthalmologists and trained graders. Artificial intelligence (AI) can now be employed to grade retinal images, especially those with sight threatening DR.
In a study done at Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF), Chennai, and published by Nature Eye , retinal photographs were taken on diabetics using the Remidio FOP, (previously validated to have a clinical sensitivity of 93% and specificity of 98%) and graded by Ophthalmologists as well as by the AI algorithm EyeArt. This study showed that, the use of Eye Art automated AI along with Remidio Fundus on Phone (FOP) has very high sensitivity for detecting retinopathy (95.8%) and sight threatening DR (99.1%). This is possibly the first study that has looked at the role and accuracy of automated artificial intelligence (AI) based DR detection in smartphone-based retinal imaging.
Dr. Anand Sivaraman, CEO of Remidio Innovative Solutions Pvt. Ltd., said, "The simplicity of use of smartphones when combined with our patented optics, has resulted in the Remidio Fundus on Phone device (FOP) that is priced at 1/5th to 1/10th that of traditional desktop retinal imaging systems, while still providing high quality images clinically validated to have high sensitivity and specificity exceeding 92% and 98% respectively. The use of Artificial Intelligence like EyeArtTM in screening the images from the Remidio Fundus on Phone device, now enables large scale public health screening for eye health among the 400 million affected by Diabetes, globally."
Dr. V. Mohan, Chairman, Dr. Mohan's Diabetes Specialities Centre and Director, MDRF, said, "One out of 5 Indians with diabetes are at risk for developing diabetic retinopathy. Given the alarming increase in the number of people with diabetes and shortage of trained retinal specialists, computer based analysis using artificial intelligence of the retinal photographs, taken using sleek and user-friendly smartphone based cameras would reduce the burden of the health systems in screening for sight threatening retinopathy. Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to analyse retinal images is a significant development and it fits in well with the current trend of using telemedicine to reach the remote underserved parts of the country especially the rural areas where specialised healthcare is often non-existent."
Dr. R. Rajalakshmi, Head-Medical Retina, Dr. Mohan's Diabetes Specialities Centre and MDRF, said, "Regular retinal screening for all people with diabetes is still an unmet need in most countries especially in poor developing countries. Automated artificial intelligence software along with smartphone based retinal imaging can be a promising initial tool for mass retinal screening." She added that smartphone retinal color photography combined with an automated detection system can ideally result in models with potential for cost-effective routine clinical use by the primary care physicians.
Dr. Kaushal Solanki, CEO of Eyenuk Inc., said, "We are happy to see this study demonstrate the safety and efficacy of EyeArt™ with smartphone-based fundus photography. This is especially notable given that EyeArt™'s underlying artificial intelligence (AI) models were never trained on Remidio's smartphone images, providing a solid proof of the robustness and broad applicability of the EyeArt™ system. We look forward to converting these impressive results into real-world clinical practice by making EyeArt™ available for large-scale diabetic retinopathy screening in conjunction with portable high-quality smartphone retinal imaging, like the Remidio Fundus on Phone (FOP)."
About Madras Diabetes Research Foundation:
Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF), a unique 100% nonprofit research centre exclusively devoted for advanced research on diabetes and its complications, was established in 1996. Madras Diabetes Research Foundation is recognized by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) as 'ICMR Centre for Advanced Research on Diabetes'.
About Remidio Innovative Solutions Pvt Ltd:
Remidio is an innovative medical device company that seeks to create Healthcare Access by combining simplicity of product design with cutting edge technology and sustainable business model innovations. Remidio uses principles of Design Thinking and involves key stakeholders during the product development process - clinicians, patients, and health workers, with a view to designing product solutions that are simple to use, clinically relevant, reliable and scalable. Remidio's CE marked and FDA 510k registered retinal imaging devices have helped screen and impact more than 7.5 million patients in 15 countries globally, as a result of increased access provided by the ease of use and affordability of Remidio's patented optics on the smartphone platform.
About Eyenuk Inc.
Eyenuk, Inc., headquartered in Los Angeles, California, is focused on quickly and accurately identifying patients early in the progression of potentially blinding eye diseases in order to readily treat and preserve vision. Using machine learning, computer vision and image analysis expertise, the company is developing a portfolio of products based on its proprietary retinal image analysis technology to identify and track over time eye diseases, including diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and glaucoma. EyeArt™ has received CE marking and is commercially available in the European Union. In the United States, EyeArt™ is limited by federal law to investigational use only and is not available for sale.
For press queries please get in touch with:
MDRF
Dr. V. Mohan
+91-44-4396-8888
[email protected]
Dr. R. Rajalakshmi
+91-44-4396-8888
[email protected]
Eyenuk
Dr. Kaushal Solanki
+1-818-835-3585
[email protected]
Remidio
Dr Anand Sivaraman
[email protected]
+91-9845155475
CEO and Director
Remidio Innovative Solutions Pvt Ltd
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