Microsoft launches intelligent network for eyecare

Microsoft India, in collaboration with L.V. Prasad Eye Institute, on Monday launched Microsoft Intelligent Network for Eyecare (MINE).

This is a mission-driven global consortium of like-minded commercial, research and academic institutions, who have joined hands to apply artificial intelligence to help in the elimination of avoidable blindness and scale delivery of eyecare services worldwide.

The partner organisations of this consortium include Bascom Palmer - University of Miami, Flaum Eye Institute - University of Rochester (USA), Federal University of Sao Paulo (Brazil) and Brien Holden Vision Institute (Australia).

The partners will collaborate and collectively work on diverse datasets of patients across geographies to come up with machine-learning predictive models for vision impairment and eye disease.

This will include the rate of change of myopia in children, conditions that impact children's eyesight, predictive outcomes of refractive surgery, optimal surgery parameters as well as ways to personalize a surgery and maximize its probability of success.

Currently, 285 million people the world over are visually impaired, of which 55 million reside in India.

As the technology driver, Microsoft will deploy its leading cloud platform technology -- Cortana Intelligence Suite -- for advanced analytics and to build Artificial Intelligence models on eyecare.

"MINE, a global collaboration, reinforces Microsoft's belief in the combined power of data, cloud and advanced analytics to drive public good. In our shared vision to eradicate preventive blindness, MINE will help redefine eyecare by bringing together the power of technology and knowledge of global experts," said Anil Bhansali, Managing Director, Microsoft India.

G.N. Rao, Founder-chair, L.V. Prasad Eye Institute, said they have been using Microsoft Azure Machine-Learning and Power BI to drive clinical interventions and improve patient outcomes.

"Today, we take great pride in taking forward our partnership with Microsoft and joining forces with global institutes to revolutionise the field of ophthalmology in India and across the world.

"We are confident that this partnership will ... pave the way for others to leverage technology to address several other critical eye diseases."

--IANS

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