Artificial intelligence can detect eye disease

IDx, a Coralville-based med technology firm, is giving the world a glimpse into what eye health care might look like in the future. IDx-DR, an autonomous artificial intelligence diagnostic system developed by Dr. Michael Abramoff to detect diabetic retinopathy, gained approval in 2018 from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The technology is to be used in health care settings patients already visit, such as their primary care physician's office, to catch the disease before it causes permanent damage. "The early detection of this disease is important. We're reducing the burden on patients by making it easier to access testing," said Ben Clark, president and chief operating officer of IDx. "Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of preventable blindness in the United States," he said.