New Delhi, Mar 11 (IANS): A team of experts has developed an Intel-powered comprehensive retina risk assessment software-as-a-service platform in India.

Developed by Sankara Eye Foundation and Singapore-based Leben Care, Netra.AI is a cloud-based Artificial Intelligence (AI) solution and is powered by Intel technology. It uses deep learning to identify retinal conditions in a short span of time.

The solution can identify diabetic retinopathy (DR), greatly reducing the screening burden on vitreoretinal surgeons.

"With Netra.AI, Sankara Eye Foundation and Leben Care have leveraged the power of Intel Xeon Scalable processors and built-in Intel Deep Learning (DL) Boost to accurately detect DR and enable timely treatment to effectively combat avoidable vision impairment and blindness in diabetic patients." Prakash Mallya, Vice President and Managing Director of Sales, Marketing and Communications Group, Intel India, said in a statement.

Netra.AI analyzes images from portable, technician-operated fundus camera devices, for immediate results of referable DR grading via a cloud-based web portal.

The solution uses cutting-edge AI algorithms, developed in collaboration with leading retina experts, with a four-step deep convolutional neural network (DCNN).

So far, Netra.AI has screened 3,093 patients in India and identified 742 at-risk patients.

India has one of the largest diabetic populations of any country in the world, approaching 98 million cases by 2030.

Research shows that DR is a leading cause of blindness and vision loss in adults, and early detection and treatment is critical to stopping the damage. However, the lack of trained retinal specialists in India -- especially in remote, rural regions -- limits effective screening of asymptomatic patients. This results in patients coming late with advanced diabetic eye disease.