Google’s Artificial Intelligence research is being used in applications as diverse as learning and playing complex games to trying to crack some of society’s looming health challenges. One area in which significant strides were made recently is in the application of detecting vision-related disorders.

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Google’s DeepMind in conjunction with London’s Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust have embarked on a project to help doctors detect the onset sight loss and related ocular disorders. Using the power of Google’s DeepMind, the aim is to have the system analyse about a million Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) eye scans and help detect patterns that could be used for diagnosis. Each of these scans delivers a highly accurate image of the patient’s eye, but they need to be studied by specialists before diagnoses are made.

By setting this challenge to Machine Learning, researchers and doctors are looking to Google’s DeepMind system to be able to analyse these massive volumes of data and unearth patterns that could more quickly help spot cases of early blindness.

"Our research with DeepMind has the potential to revolutionise the way professionals carry out eye tests and could lead to earlier detection and treatment of common eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration. With sight loss predicted to double by the year 2050 it is vital we explore the use of cutting-edge technology to prevent eye disease." said Professor Sir Peng Tee Khaw, Director of the National Institute for Health Research Specialist Biomedical Research Centre in Ophthalmology at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and UCL Institute of Ophthalmology