The project, funded by Innovate UK, seeks to simplify and improve the safety of detecting serious eye conditions outside of traditional clinical settings. This initiative could extend screening to individuals who face challenges accessing eye clinics, particularly in low-income and rural areas.
Conditions such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and age-related macular degeneration are significant causes of preventable blindness globally. Early detection is key for treatment, but screening access remains limited in many underserved regions.
In collaboration with Black Space Technology and OUI Inc., the SIGHTMARK-AI research project at BCU aims to establish standardised infrastructure for healthcare testing worldwide.
“"Eye disease takes something from people that can never really be given back, and I find it hard to accept that so much of it is preventable if it's just caught in time. The work we do here, such as ensuring the data is correct, and making sure annotations are trustworthy, could be the difference between someone getting diagnosed early or not at all, especially in places where a proper eye clinic is simply out of reach."
The research intends to create an evaluation framework for other organisations to test smartphone fundoscopy AI systems, thereby enhancing clinical safety standards and promoting the reliable adoption of these technologies.
Professor Junaid Arshad, Head of the Department of Computing at BCU, stated, “Our work demonstrates how advanced digital innovation can directly transform healthcare. By turning accessible mobile imaging into reliable, clinical-grade diagnostics, we are proud to deliver on BCU Strategy 2030's mission to create knowledge for good. We are setting new standards for patient safety and driving the trustworthy adoption of AI in modern medicine.”
