Eyeing Early Chronic Disease Detection Through AI-Based Retinal Scans

South Korean start-up Mediwhale is using AI-guided retinal scans to predict the risk of eye, cardiovascular and kidney diseases. The company has moved ahead of a small pack of competitors and gained regulatory approval and market access in eight territories through a focus on gathering strong evidence to support algorithms.

Primary Care Physicians Could Soon Use Retinal Images To Detect Systemic Diseases • Source: Shutterstock

It has been the stuff of science fiction for years: a digital scanner screens a person for minute physiological changes, right in the comfort of their home. The device instantaneously detects a disease at its earliest stage, or even before it appears, thus fending off ill health. Now, a body of research and advances in artificial intelligence are bringing that vision closer to reality, with retinal scanning algorithms that can predict the risk of ophthalmic, cardiovascular, and renal diseases.

“The eye is the only organ that shows blood vessels directly in a non-invasive way,” Kevin Choi, co-founder and CEO...

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