AI at ESCRS Paris 2019

Advanced artificial intelligence (AI) applications hold exciting potential in diagnosing and treating a wide range of diseases in healthcare and are already making an impact on current clinical practice in many disciplines. Ophthalmology is on the cutting edge of artificial intelligence (AI) in medicine. Indeed, the first AI device passed by the US FDA for use by non-specialist clinicians was the IDx-DR, approved last year for the screening of diabetic retinopathy. Ophthalmic AI applications are rapidly developing for uses ranging from diagnosing and predicting glaucoma and macular degeneration, to identifying biomarkers for pharmaceutical development and use, to driving smart accommodating lenses, to assessing cardiovascular risk based on fundus images. This year’s 37th Congress of the ESCRS, Paris 2019, features a comprehensive symposium examining the state and future of AI in ophthalmology. Chaired by ESCRS President Béatrice Cochener-Lamard MD, PhD, of France and Guy Kleinmann MD of Israel, the session will also explore potential issues involving AI use. The session is scheduled for 11.00 on Monday, 16 September. Issues and advances Prof Barry O’Sullivan PhD, director of the Insight Centre for Data Analytics at University College Cork, Ireland, will lead off with a discussion of ethics and AI. He conducts research into artificial intelligence, decision analytics and related areas, has presented on AI issues at the UN, and was recognised as researcher of the year by the Science Foundation Ireland in 2016. Anat Loewenstein MD, Tel Aviv, Israel, will review AI’s role in advancing age-related macular degeneration diagnosis, prognosis and treatment, including use of progression biomarkers identified by machine learning analysis of OCT images. Xiulan Zhang MD, Guangzhou, China, will present on AI in diagnosing glaucoma. His research focuses on glaucoma pathogenesis, early diagnosis, individualised treatment and precisely-targeted intervention, as well as treatment for refractory and complicated glaucoma, neuroprotection and stem cell therapy. Gwénolé Quellec PhD, Paris, France, a leading biomedical engineer, will discuss generalising AI technologies including image analysis across ocular pathologies and imaging devices. His work includes automated assessment of AMD drusen, detection of microaneurysms and lesions in the retina and assessment of nerve head characteristics using OCT, fundus photography and other imaging devices. Dimitri Azar MD, Chicago, USA, will present research on using AI to develop a smart accommodating contact lens, providing a potential presbyopia treatment. The device is under development by Verily. Renowned roboticist Bradley Nelson PhD, Zurich, Switzerland, will deliver an update on robotics in ocular surgery. His work includes development of magnetic actuators for robotic surgery and intravitreal injections. Artificial Intelligence in Ophthalmology will take place on Monday 16 September at 11.00 in the Auditorium

Tags: artificial intelligene ophthalmology