INNOVATIONS

Description

We invented a new technique, ROTA (Retinal nerve fiber layer Optical Texture Analysis) (US Application No.62/571,559), to augment the diagnostic performance to detect glaucoma and non-glaucomatous optic neuropathies. ROTA integrates retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness and RNFL reflectance measurements obtained with standard optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans to discern individual axonal fiber bundles. ROTA detects focal RNFL defects in early optic neuropathy and reveals residual axonal fiber bundles in end-stage optic neuropathy that are discernible neither in conventional OCT analysis nor other clinical investigations. Our objective is to develop artificial intelligence assisted ROTA (AIROTA), which integrates (1) ROTA, (2) cloud computing, and (3) deep learning into major clinical optical coherence tomography systems worldwide to automate clinical workflow for diagnostic evaluation and screening of glaucoma and non-glaucomatous optic neuropathies. Our business model represents a key strategy for prevention of blindness and visual impairment in Hong Kong and beyond, which is aligned with the Government initiative to promote healthcare.