Restoration of Neonatal Retinal Images

Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is an eye disorder primarily affecting premature neonates. Specialists use a number of neonatal retinal images acquired by a wide field of view camera for diagnosis and the subsequent follow up. However, the premature infants’ retinal images are generally of lower visibility compared to adult retinal images, affecting the quality of diagnosis. We study some image dehazing methods from general outdoor scenes and propose an image restoration scheme for neonatal retinal images, based on the physical model of light propagation in a medium. The results from our restoration algorithm is useful for analysis by human experts as well as computer aided diagnosis and specifically we show that our method enhances vessel segmentation significantly compared to traditional methods like adaptive histogram equalization

Retinopathy of prematurity in India – what can we learn from the polio legacy?

Summary: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a vasoproliferative disease of the preterm retina that has the potential to cause vision impairment and blindness. Timely screening and treatment are hence critical for infants at risk for ROP. Screening for ROP is challenging in India owing to the limited resources, a vast at-risk population and lack of awareness among paediatricians and the public. Addressing ROP in India requires a comprehensive approach involving multiple sectors, considering the magnitude of the problem and the expected increase in need for ROP services due to the increased survival of preterm infants following improvements in neonatal care. The success of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) offers valuable lessons for improving ROP services in developing nations by applying its strategies. An approach for primary and secondary prevention of ROP is proposed, and the current challenges and a neonatal-led care model for ROP are discussed