BegIA (cataract and glaucoma diagnostic application)

2023: Mobile App Announcement

On July 18, 2023, Spanish researchers from the Open University of Catalonia announced the development of a mobile application called BegIA, which allows the diagnosis of eye diseases in a few seconds.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 2.2 billion people worldwide suffer from certain visual impairments or blindness. It is noted that early diagnosis of ophthalmological diseases requires an examination of the back wall of the eye, which makes it necessary to have a specialist with optical devices. In developed countries and urban areas, access to such a service is not difficult. However, those who live in rural areas, in developing or remote regions, do not have the opportunity to promptly undergo the necessary examination. The BegIA application solves the problem.

Mobile app designed to diagnose cataracts and glaucoma in seconds

The BegIA program uses artificial intelligence tools to analyze a selfie shot. Special algorithms trained on real-world ophthalmic disease data analyze eye images and infer possible problems. The app is able to determine whether a person suffers from glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy or cataract - the three most common causes of vision loss in the world.

BegIA can be used by both patients themselves and healthcare professionals. In addition to early diagnosis of ophthalmic diseases, the application will allow remote therapeutic monitoring. After diagnosis and treatment planning, the physician will be able to monitor the effectiveness of the course and monitor the patient's condition remotely - using images and data obtained through BegIA. This will save people from remote areas from the need to constantly travel to city medical centers and spend money on regular examinations.^[1]

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