A Mobile Solution for Lateral Segment Photographed Images based Deep Keratoconus Screening Method

Keratoconus (KC) is a condition of the bulging of the eye cornea. It is a common non-inflammatory ocular disorder that affects mostly the younger populace below the age of 30.  The eye cornea bulges because of the conical displacement of either outwards or downwards. Such condition can greatly reduce one’s visual ability. Therefore, in this paper, we afford a mobile solution to mitigate the KC disorder using the state-of-the-art deep transfer learning method. We intend to use the pre-trained VGGNet-16 model and a conventional convolutional neural network to detect KC automatically. The experimental work uses a total of 4000 side view lateral segment photographed images (LSPIs) comprising 2000 of KC and non-KC or healthy each involving 125 subjects. The LSPIs were extracted from the video data captured using a smartphone. Fine tuning of three hyperparameters namely the learning rate (LR), batch size (BS) and epoch number (EN) were carried out during the training phase to generate the best model of which, the VGGNet-16 model fulfilled it. For the KC detection task, our proposed model achieves an accuracy of 95.75%, a sensitivity of 92.25%, and specificity of 99.25% using the LR, BS and EN of 0.0001, 16, and 70, respectively. These results confirmed the high potential of our proposed solution to apprehend KC prevalence towards an automated KC screening procedure

Visual Impairment and Blindness

Blindness and vision impairment affect at least 2.2 billion people worldwide with most individuals having a preventable vision impairment. The majority of people with vision impairment are older than 50 years, however, vision loss can affect people of all ages. Reduced eyesight can have major and long-lasting effects on all aspects of life, including daily personal activities, interacting with the community, school and work opportunities, and the ability to access public services. This book provides an overview of the effects of blindness and visual impairment in the context of the most common causes of blindness in older adults as well as children, including retinal disorders, cataracts, glaucoma, and macular or corneal degeneration

Automating the eye examination using optical coherence tomography

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) devices are becoming ubiquitous in eye clinics worldwide to aid the diagnosis and monitoring of eye disease. Much of this uptake relates to the ability to non-invasively capture micron-resolution images, enabling objective and quantitative data to be obtained from ocular structures. Although safe and reasonably quick to perform, the costs involved with operating OCT devices are not trivial, and the requirement for OCT and other imaging in addition to other clinical measures is placing increasing demand on ophthalmology clinics, contributing to fragmented patient pathways and often extended waiting times. In this thesis, a novel “binocular optical coherence tomography” system that seeks to overcome some of the limitations of current commercial OCT systems, is clinically evaluated. This device incorporates many aspects of the eye examination into a single patient-operated instrument, and aims to improve the efficiency and quality of eye care while reducing the overall labour and equipment costs. A progressive framework of testing is followed that includes human factors and usability testing, followed by early stage diagnostic studies to assess the agreement, repeatability, and reproducibility of individual diagnostic features. Health economics analysis of the retinal therapy clinic is used to model cost effectiveness of current practice and with binocular OCT implementation. The binocular OCT and development of other low-cost OCT systems may improve accessibility, however there remains a relative shortage of experts to interpret the images. Artificial intelligence (AI) is likely to play a role in rapid and automated image classification. This thesis explores the application of AI within retinal therapy clinics to predict the onset of exudative age-related macular degeneration in fellow eyes of patients undergoing treatment in their first eye. Together with automated and simultaneous imaging of both eyes with binocular OCT and the potential for low-cost patient-facing systems, AI is likely to have a role in personalising management plans, especially in a future where preventive treatments are available

Clamp-assisted retractor advancement for lower eyelid involutional entropion

Scientific Poster 144PURPOSE: To describe a novel approach to internal repair of lower lid entropion using the Putterman clamp. METHODS: Retrospective, consecutive case series of patients with entropion who underwent retractor advancement using the clamp. RESULTS: Seven eyes of 6 patients (average age: 80; 4 women and 2 men) were analyzed. Complete resolution was achieved in 5 of the 6 patients (83.3%). The 1 patient with recurrence had 2 previous entropion surgeries on each eye over the past 4 years; there was lid laxity, and horizontal tightening was needed. No severe adverse events occurred in the patients. CONCLUSION: Clamp-assisted lower lid retractor advancement offers a safe and effective, minimally invasive approach to involutional entropion. Further study is needed to assess its role in recurrent entropion.postprin

Child Eye Health in Nampula, Mozambique and Ireland

To examine child eye health, in particular, visual impairment (VI), uncorrected refractive error (URE) and strabismus in two targeted cohorts of children in Mozambique and Ireland

2020 insurance benefits guide

This guide provides an overview of the insurance programs the South Carolina Public Employee Benefit Authority offers plus premiums and contact information

White Paper 4: Challenges In Biomedicine & Health

Publicado en Madrid, 231 p. ; 17 cm.A lesson that we have learned from the pandemia caused by coronavirus is that solutions in health require coordinated actions. Beside this and other emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, millions of Europeans are suffering a plethora of disorders that are currently acquiring epidemic dimensions, including cancer, rare diseases, pain and food allergies, among others. New tools for prevention, diagnosis and treatment need to be urgently designed and implemented using new holistic and multidisciplinary approaches at three different levels (basic research, translational/clinical and public/social levels) and involving researchers, clinicians, industry and all stakeholders in the health system. The CSIC is excellently positioned to lead and coordinate these challenges in Biomedicine and Health.Peer reviewe