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Open Access Original Article Issue
Leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Clinical Laboratory Evidence to Advance Mobile Health Applications in Ophthalmology: Taking the Ocular Surface Disease as a Case Study
iLABMED 2025, 3(1): 64-85
Published: 12 March 2025
Abstract PDF (6.5 MB) Collect
Downloads:64
Background

The advent of mobile health (mHealth) applications has fundamentally transformed the healthcare landscape, particularly within the field of ophthalmology, by providing unprecedented opportunities for remote diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment. Ocular surface diseases, including dry eye disease (DED), are the most common eye diseases that can be detected by mHealth applications. However, most remote artificial intelligence (AI) systems for ocular surface disease detection are predominantly based on self‐reported data collected through interviews, which lack the rigor of clinical evidence. These constraints underscore the need to develop robust, evidence‐based AI frameworks that incorporate objective health indicators to improve the reliability and clinical utility of remote health applications.

Methods

Two novel deep learning (DL) models, YoloTR and YoloMBTR, were developed to detect key ocular surface indicators (OSIs), including tear meniscus height (TMH), non‐invasive Keratograph break‐up time (NIKBUT), ocular redness, lipid layer, and trichiasis. Additionally, back propagation neural networks (BPNN) and universal network for image segmentation (U‐Net) were employed for image classification and segmentation of meibomian gland images to predict Demodex mite infections. These models were trained on a large dataset from high‐resolution devices, including Keratograph 5M and various mobile platforms (Huawei, Apple, and Xiaomi).

Results

The proposed DL models of YoloMBTR and YoloTR outperformed baseline you only look once (YOLO) models (Yolov5n, Yolov6n, and Yolov8n) across multiple performance metrics, including test average precision (AP), validation AP, and overall accuracy. These two models also exhibit superior performance compared to machine plug‐in models in KG5M when benchmarked against the gold standard. Using Python's Matplotlib for visualization and SPSS for statistical analysis, this study introduces an innovative proof‐of‐concept framework leveraging quantitative AI analysis to address critical challenges in ophthalmology. By integrating advanced DL models, the framework offers a robust approach for detecting and quantifying OSIs with a high degree of precision. This methodological advancement bridges the gap between AI‐driven diagnostics and clinical ophthalmology by translating complex ocular data into actionable insights.

Conclusions

Integrating AI with clinical laboratory data holds significant potential for advancing mobile eye health (MeHealth), particularly in detecting OSIs. This study aims to explore this integration, focusing on improving diagnostic accuracy and accessibility. This study demonstrates the potential of AI‐driven tools in ophthalmic diagnostics, paving the way for reliable, evidence‐based solutions in remote patient monitoring and continuous care. The results contribute to the foundation of AI‐powered health systems that can extend beyond ophthalmology, improving healthcare accessibility and patient outcomes across various domains.

Open Access Issue
AI-Based Advanced Approaches and Dry Eye Disease Detection Based on Multi-Source Evidence: Cases, Applications, Issues, and Future Directions
Big Data Mining and Analytics 2024, 7(2): 445-484
Published: 22 April 2024
Abstract PDF (7.1 MB) Collect
Downloads:618

This study explores the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in early screening and prognosis of Dry Eye Disease (DED), aiming to enhance the accuracy of therapeutic approaches for eye-care practitioners. Despite the promising opportunities, challenges such as diverse diagnostic evidence, complex etiology, and interdisciplinary knowledge integration impede the interpretability, reliability, and applicability of AI-based DED detection methods. The research conducts a comprehensive review of datasets, diagnostic evidence, and standards, as well as advanced algorithms in AI-based DED detection over the past five years. The DED diagnostic methods are categorized into three groups based on their relationship with AI techniques: (1) those with ground truth and/or comparable standards, (2) potential AI-based methods with significant advantages, and (3) supplementary methods for AI-based DED detection. The study proposes suggested DED detection standards, the combination of multiple diagnostic evidence, and future research directions to guide further investigations. Ultimately, the research contributes to the advancement of ophthalmic disease detection by providing insights into knowledge foundations, advanced methods, challenges, and potential future perspectives, emphasizing the significant role of AI in both academic and practical aspects of ophthalmology.

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