Google DeepMind will detect eye diseases with AI

Moorfields Eye Hospital is one of the oldest and largest health centres for ophthalmic treatment, handling more than 600,000 patient visits each year. Staff conduct "many thousands" of optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans each week -- these are complex and can take time for healthcare professionals to analyze. If DeepMind's research is successful, this workflow could be accelerated and, as a result, ensure that many people retain their sight. Some conditions, such as diabetic retinopathy, can be prevented or severely limited provided they are detected early enough. "But that doesn't always happen," DeepMind explains.