AI-enabled diabetes eye care vital for rapid clinical decision-making at point of care: Expert

AI-enabled diabetes eye care vital for rapid clinical decision-making at point of care: Expert

Thiruvananthapuram, July 12 (UNI) The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies has enabled immediate clinical decision-making in the treatment of diabetic retinopathy at the point of care, extending beyond traditional clinical settings, according to eminent endocrinologist Dr Jothydev Kesavadev.

Noting that diabetic retinopathy is emerging as a major public health challenge in India, Dr Kesavadev said studies have shown that AI-assisted retinal imaging is a reliable tool for the early detection of Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and timely referral.

The expert was speaking at a session on 'Impact of AI in Diabetes Eye Care' during the 14th edition of the three-day Annual Global Diabetes Convention held at Uday Samudra, Kovalam.

The July 10-12 conference is led by Dr Kesavadev, Organising Secretary of Jothydev's Professional Education Forum (JPEF) and Chairman and Managing Director of Jothydev's Diabetes Research Centre. The organising team also includes Dr Arun Shankar, Organising Chairman; Sunitha Jothydev, Conference Director; Hariprasad, Convener; and Anjana Basanth, Scientific Coordinator.

Organised by JPEF, the convention is themed "Helping You Choose the Best in Care."

Dr Kesavadev, a Fellow of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology and DiabetesIndia, said a new era in diabetic retinopathy screening has begun with the advent of portable AI-integrated technologies.

The Fundus on Phone (FOP), a handheld wide-field retinal imaging device integrated with AI, enables efficient screening and identification of patients requiring ophthalmic referral, supporting scalable retinal care. The FOP NM-10 is a smartphone-enabled, handheld non-mydriatic retinal camera equipped with on-the-edge AI.

"Screening can now be performed anywhere, anytime, and by anyone, significantly improving accessibility beyond traditional clinical settings. Portable fundus cameras equipped with on-the-edge AI allow rapid image capture and analysis, generating a referral report within approximately 10 seconds," he said.

The device can screen for multiple eye diseases, including diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration, broadening its functionality beyond the detection of a single condition.

Dr Kesavadev said the device combines high-quality imaging, portability and integrated offline AI algorithms, ensuring accurate screening even in remote and resource-limited settings.

Diabetic retinopathy is now among the leading causes of blindness in India, with one in five people living with diabetes showing signs of the condition.

"Using fundus images captured with the FOP NM-10 and compared with Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT)-based assessment, the algorithm achieved high sensitivity and specificity in detecting referable AMD. The platform remains the only Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO)-approved AI solution for AMD screening in India," he said.

Another AI platform, Medios Glaucoma AI, has also demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity compared with the standard of care for glaucoma detection. It accurately identifies referable glaucoma, and validation across both tertiary hospitals and large-scale screening programmes has demonstrated consistent performance.

Dr Kesavadev said Medios AI has undergone extensive global validation across diverse populations and clinical settings. It has received regulatory approval for diabetic retinopathy screening in the European union and from Singapore's Health Sciences Authority. In India, Medios AI is the first and only AI-based diabetic retinopathy screening system approved by the CDSCO.

UNI DS