A Scotland-based project we helped fund has reached a milestone, having captured one million retinal images.
The databank means researchers are now “a step closer to supporting clinicians to make crucial early diagnoses in debilitating eye diseases and other conditions.”
The Scottish Collaborative Optometry-Ophthalmology Network eResearch (SCONe) was set up in 2020 by The University of Edinburgh and Glasgow Caledonian University.
Collecting the images means researchers can discover new information about eye and general diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, cardiovascular disease and dementia.
Professor Baljean Dhillon (pictured), one of the founders of the SCONe project, said:
“With the repository including representation from 10 of the 14 Health Board areas in Scotland, the secured data, in conjunction with the latest advances in Artificial Intelligence for medical image analysis, are extremely valuable for developing new diagnostic tools and refining important time points in clinical care pathways where there is a need for monitoring, referral and intervention.”
Eleanor Southwood, Fight for Sight’s Director of Impact and External Affairs, said: “We’re proud to have supported the SCONe Project as part of our commitment to better understanding, diagnosing, preventing and treating vision loss. It adds further evidence that regular eye scans can also help early identification of other health conditions.
“It shows how incredibly powerful an eye test can be and that it goes beyond eye health.”
How can the eyes provide a window to wider eye health?
Viewing the retina can provide clues to other conditions.
One of the aims in creating and growing the SCONe repository is to safeguard retinal images captured in community optometry practices as a highly valuable clinical research resource for improving public health across the population.
Professor Dhillon said: “This innovative project will undoubtedly improve public health and fast track vital healthcare research. One of the many benefits of the repository comes from the presence of many images without or before clinical diagnosis.
Other work funded by Fight for Sight has helped develop this field of Oculomics. Notably, Professor Pearse Keane’s work has explored how the eyes can be a window to eye health.
Using artificial intelligence, he and Dr Siegfried Wagner, have demonstrated how eye scans can help identify signs of dementia up to seven years early, which could lead to earlier interventions and better outcomes.
Professor Keane talked about his work in a Fight for Sight webinar alongside Professor Alastair Denniston. The two talked about their long history of collaborating to deliver impact and have published over 90 papers together.
The project was originally funded by The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, Sight Scotland, Fight for Sight, NHS Lothian Charity, Chief Scientist Office, and The RS Macdonald Charitable Trust.
Related links of Fight for Sight research and information
Our website has information on related research we’re funding to boost our understanding of eye diseases and to help you understand specific conditions:
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