Image Courtesy : www.facebook.com/IITJOfficial

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur (IIT Jodhpur) have developed an innovative Computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system for the early detection of Hypertensive Retinopathy (HR). HR is a retinal condition caused by prolonged hypertension, which can lead to various health issues, including cardiovascular risks and target-organ damage. Early detection and treatment are crucial to prevent blindness and further organ damage.

The CAD-based system operates deep learning technology, delivering a cost-effective, portable, non-invasive, and time-efficient solution for HR diagnosis. This system has accomplished outstanding diagnostic accuracy, with an average accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and precision of 98.44 percent and a precision of 98.48 percent.

This collaborative research project was carried out with the help of experts from IIT Jodhpur and the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Jodhpur. Hypertension is a widespread health problem impacting individuals and contributing to growing morbidity and mortality. According to recent data from the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 1.13 billion people in developing nations go through hypertension.

Dr. Anil Kumar Tiwari, a Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at IIT Jodhpur, highlighted the significance of the research. He stated, "The proposed system will not only provide opinions to the doctors but can provide better diagnosis accuracy. This system can be utilized in emergency treatment by physicians, neurologists, and ophthalmologists.

The Ministry of Education, Government of India, and the Interdisciplinary Program in Smart Health Care at IIT Jodhpur and AIIMS Jodhpur supported this collaborative research. Thus, the programme promotes interdisciplinary groups of doctors and engineers to cooperate, furthering technological improvements in healthcare.