Google has partnered with leading med tech companies in India and Thailand to expand its diabetic retinopathy AI to the APAC to support 6 million AI screening in low-income and underserved regions.
According to a news report published by Medical Device Network, Google Health has licensed the diagnostic AI model to three leading health tech firms: AuroLab, Perceptra, and Forus Health.
These firms will seek regulatory approval to integrate the technology into healthcare systems in the APAC region, enabling them to provide diabetic retinopathy screening at no cost to patients.
The integration will also help expand the technology’s reach and improve access to screening and diagnosis for diabetic retinopathy, an eye illness caused by retina damage.
As part of its commitment to developing innovative solutions for healthcare, Google has also collaborated with the Department of Medical Services (DMS) in Thailand to research the implementation of the cost-effective AI-powered system within the Ministry of Public Health.
The initiative will incorporate Google’s latest AI model into the country’s innovation programs, enabling a successful collaboration between DMS and Perceptra to use the technology in public hospitals.
Known as the Automated Retinal Disease Assessment (ARDA), this AI-driven tool helps clinicians diagnose diabetic retinopathy, which, if not treated at its initial stages, usually results in loss of sight. The ARDA was developed through a partnership with ophthalmologists and trained using 100,000 scans.
Apart from the AI model for detecting diabetic retinopathy, Google is also working on a variety of medical technologies for dermatology, medical imaging, and radiology.
Meanwhile, other health tech companies are also working on similar technology to democratize medical diagnostics. In September, AI Optics also unveiled a portable AI-powered retinal scan to revolutionize eye care.