Spain has developed a mobile app that diagnoses cataracts and glaucoma
Spanish developers have proposed a mobile application that can determine a person's risk of developing the three most common causes of vision loss - glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and cataracts - in a matter of seconds. This will require the user to take selfies, after which it will be analyzed by artificial intelligence.The University of Oberta de Catalunya (Spain) has developed a mobile application that allows self-diagnosis of glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and cataracts using ordinary selfies. The project, called BegIA, uses artificial intelligence technology and is aimed at patients who lack quick access to medical specialists, Healthcare in Europe reports, citing the university's press service.
According to the World Health Organization, about 2.2 billion people in the world suffer from visual impairment or blindness. Half of these cases could be prevented if the diseases were diagnosed in time. The BegIA project (begia means "eye" in Basque) came about after a relative of one of the developers began to lose his vision rapidly: he developed diabetic retinopathy.
The BegIA mobile app will be useful not only for patients, but also for doctors. In addition to early diagnosis of ophthalmologic diseases, it allows for remote medical monitoring. Once the doctor has made a diagnosis and prescribed a treatment plan, he or she will be able to track its effectiveness using photo images. The patient will not have to travel anywhere for this.
The finished product may appear on the market within two years.