Dr Emmanuel Ho, professor at the University of Waterloo School of Pharmacy in Canada, has received support through the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation’s (CABHI) Ignite program to advance an innovative mobile screening tool that aims to detect early signs of eye disease and potential changes in cognitive health.
A University of Waterloo media release said CABHI’s Ignite program supported early-stage Canadian innovators, including researchers, point-of-care staff and companies, to help develop, test and validate their solutions.
Dr Ho’s project bridges artificial intelligence (AI), ocular health and neurodegenerative disease research to create an accessible screening tool for patients, caregivers and healthcare professionals, it said.
The application, called PhotoHealth, allowed users to take a photograph of their eye using a smartphone. The image is then analysed to detect subtle abnormalities that are often invisible to the human eye.
By comparing images against datasets from diagnosed patients, the system could identify minute variations suggestive of disease, the university said.
Initial development would focus on detecting diabetic retinopathy, a condition that stems from a complication of diabetes that causes damage to the retina and can lead to blindness if left untreated.
The release said the research team would also investigate whether changes to eye health correlated with cognitive decline, including dementia.
“Utilising the eye as a portal could be the key to further understanding brain health and cognitive function,” said Dr Ho.
“Optometrists rely on large, expensive, immovable equipment that isn’t easily transported to a patient,” he said.
“For someone who lives more than an hour away, travelling for a routine checkup without showing clear signs of vision impairment or concerns, can be a significant burden.”
The app would function as a low-cost, first-line screening tool and would work offline to accommodate regions with limited internet access, while prioritising strong privacy protections.
A Windows-based version of the software had already been created and was now being adapted for Android and iOS platforms.
Beyond diabetic retinopathy, the team planned to expand the app capabilities to detect other eye conditions, such as hemorrhaging, retinal tears and signs of infection.
Dr Ho’s research could open new avenues in other disease screening, for example exploring correlations between eye health and infectious diseases.
