Automated Digital Diabetic Retinopathy Eye Screening System (ADDRESS)

ADDRESS项目将使Seon Diagnostics Limited（SDL）能够在迄今为止广泛的研发活动的基础上，创建下一代系统，以自动检测糖尿病患者的视网膜异常（即糖尿病视网膜病变）。据估计，4.6亿糖尿病患者中的每一个人1都有发生并发症的风险，这些并发症可能导致光损伤，眼睛后部的敏感膜（视网膜）。如果不及时发现和治疗，这种损害会导致视力受损，甚至失明。通过常规的视网膜摄影和高度熟练的医生检查这些照片，可以早期发现问题的早期迹象，并将患者转诊到眼科诊所。早期发现和治疗几乎消除了严重视力损害的风险，在少数国家，糖尿病眼睛筛查计划已经建立，这些计划已经证明非常成功。然而，DESP的运营成本很高，而且全世界都缺乏熟练的从业人员。因此，绝大多数糖尿病患者没有进行常规眼科检查，并处于危险之中。现有的自动检测糖尿病视网膜病变的系统存在许多限制，阻碍了它们的应用。SDL正在开发的解决方案将以独特的专有方式克服这些限制，ADDRESS项目的主要成果是自动化系统的概念验证，该系统将使（1）现有的DESP能够克服训练有素的从业人员短缺的问题，并大大降低其运营成本;（2）在没有DESP的国家，以低成本和有限的人力资源建立一个DESP。在项目结束时，该技术（名为SeonDx-Retina）将准备提交给监管机构进行商业化审批。

The ADDRESS project will enable Seon Diagnostics Limited (SDL) to build upon extensive research and development activity to date and create the next generation system to automatically detect retinal abnormalities that are diabetic retinopathy in people living with diabetes.Every one of the estimated 460 million people living with diabetes1 is at risk of developing complications that can lead to damage to the light-sensitive membrane at the back of the eye (the retina). Undetected and untreated, this damage can lead to sight impairment and even blindness.Early detection is achieved through routine photography of the retina and the examination of these photographs by highly skilled practitioners who can spot the very early signs of problems and refer the patient to an eye clinic. Early detection and treatment all but eliminates the risk of severe sight impairment.In a handful of countries, diabetic eye screening programmes (DESPs) have been established and these have proved very successful. DESPs are, however, costly to run and there is a world-wide shortage of skilled practitioners to staff them. Consequently, the vast majority of those living with diabetes do not have routine eye examinations and are at risk.Existing automated systems to detect diabetic retinopathy have a number of limitations that have hampered their uptake. The solution that SDL is developing will overcome these limitations in a unique and proprietary way, allowing the company to establish itself as market leader in automated eye screening.The key output of the ADDRESS project is the proof of concept for an automated system that will enable (1) existing DESPs to overcome the shortage of trained practitioners and substantially lower their running costs and (2) countries where no DESP exists to establish one at low cost and with limited human resources.At the close of the project, the technology (named SeonDx-Retina) will be ready for submission to regulatory authorities for clearance to be commercialised.