OPTIC Lab Innovation Fellow, Almiqdad Saeed, showcased a poster at the American Academy of Ophthalmology 2025. Titled "A Proof-of-Concept Base Model for Automated Corneal Endothelial Cell Analysis via Specular Microscopy Images," the study demonstrates the feasibility of AI to assist in corneal graft evaluation.
The Glaucoma Poster Panel Discussion at the American Academy of Ophthalmology 2025 showcased research by Dalal Ahmidouch, one of our student researchers from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. She presented on our topic: Archetype Analysis Reveals Limitations of MD-Based Classification of Functional Vision Loss From Glaucoma. The study showed that the mean deviation classification of glaucoma fails to account for functional patterns of vision loss.
At the American Academy of Ophthalmology 2025, Dr. Al-Aswad presented on the panel titled "Innovations in Teleophthalmology" alongside colleagues such as April Maa and Grayson Armstrong (pictured). She presented on our successful implementation and launch of the eyeSITE project where she led the initiative to put AI enabled fundus cameras on 20 of Penn Medicine's primary care offices to screen for diabetic retinopathy.
Project eyeSITE (Diabetic Eye Screening Interventions with Teleretinal Exams in Primary Care) is an interdepartmental initiative led by Dr. Al-Aswad, in aims of employing AI-enabled image analysis to facilitate early intervention and prevent blindness caused by diabetic retinopathy. The AI fundus cameras were deployed in 20 of Penn Medicine's primary care offices, raising patient screening rates by approximately 65%. The project continues to expand into more of our practices, as provider and patient satisfaction continues to grow.
The DRSplus was launched in the Penn Presbyterain Emergency Department this week. Led by our resident Alexander Huther (PGY-4), our project aims to assess the efficacy of this camera in the workflow.