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Mount Sinai Launches Center for Ophthalmic Artificial Intelligence and Human Health
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has inaugurated the Center for Ophthalmic Artificial Intelligence and Human Health, positioning itself as a pioneer in patient care through groundbreaking innovations and technologies. This center, the first of its kind in New York and one of the first in the United States, is devoted to advancing artificial intelligence (AI) in the field of ophthalmology.
In collaboration with the Windreich Department of Artificial Intelligence and Human Health at Icahn Mount Sinai, the center aims to drive clinical innovation in AI-based diagnostic care for ophthalmology and population-based medical care. Additionally, it seeks to enhance understanding of cardiovascular and neurological conditions that impact patient well-being.
Mount Sinai will spearhead the integration of AI into trainee and physician education, research, and clinical settings. The center will focus on rapid diagnosis of eye diseases and conditions, such as macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, hypertensive retinopathy, systemic conditions, and retinal tumors. Early detection and intervention can help prevent vision loss, as well as heart attacks and strokes, as several eye conditions are linked to cardiovascular and neurological issues.
"We are thrilled to lead the way in ophthalmic innovation, AI, and Human Health, playing a vital role in validating and implementing the most promising technologies," stated James C. Tsai, MD, Delafield-Rogers Professor and Chair of Ophthalmology at Icahn Mount Sinai and the Mount Sinai Health System, President of New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai (NYEE), and inaugural Director of the Center. Dr. Tsai further added, "We anticipate that the Center will revolutionize and transform population-based health, thereby enhancing quality and equitable care. In addition to enabling more timely diagnosis and referral of community-based ocular conditions, we will better predict cardiovascular health in the future since recent research has shown that cardiovascular risk factors can be determined from AI-guided analysis of retinal fundus photographs. No other specialty in medicine allows such an unimpeded view and assessment of the cardiovascular and neurological systems."
Under the leadership of Dr. Tsai, the Center will expand with the appointment of two Co-Directors: Louis Pasquale, MD, Chair of Ophthalmology at The Mount Sinai Hospital and Director of the Mount Sinai – NYEE Eye and Vision Research Institute, and Alon Harris, PhD, Vice Chair of International Research and Academic Affairs at Icahn Mount Sinai.
The Center will focus its research and implementation of validated AI models in three key areas: Mount Sinai's tele-retina program, ophthalmology tele-consult program, and eye stroke service.
Mount Sinai's tele-retina program involves primary care physicians using portable digital cameras to capture retinal images during annual patient exams. These images are then uploaded to a secure technology platform where retinal specialists from NYEE access and analyze them, providing timely diagnoses. The future implementation of validated AI software for these retinal images could enable on-site interpretations, immediate patient referrals, and risk calculations for heart disease and stroke.
The tele-ophthalmology consult pilot program at Mount Sinai Morningside and Mount Sinai West offers timely diagnosis and triage of patients with eye emergencies using advanced telemedicine platforms, eliminating the need for in-person consultations with ophthalmologists. With advancements in AI technology, patients could receive faster diagnoses and expedited treatment.
AI will also transform and expand Mount Sinai's Eye Stroke Service, available at several Emergency Departments within the Mount Sinai Health System. This expansion aims to accelerate the diagnosis and treatment of patients presenting with an acute eye stroke (central retinal artery occlusion). Currently, high-resolution optical coherence tomography retinal scans are performed in various emergency departments and sent to on-call retinal specialists, who provide instant diagnoses and alert the neuroradiology team of the need for immediate stroke treatment with intra-arterial thrombolysis therapy.
Thomas J. Fuchs, Dr.sc., Dean of Artificial Intelligence and Human Health at Icahn Mount Sinai, expressed his enthusiasm for the collaboration, stating, "I am delighted to partner with Dr. Tsai and our colleagues at the distinguished New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai in this groundbreaking initiative. Artificial Intelligence is revolutionizing our society, especially in how we deliver healthcare to patients. Ophthalmology is at the forefront of this change since the image domain lends itself exceptionally well to modern deep learning-based AI. At Mount Sinai, we can realize the vision of an AI-driven ophthalmology that will drastically improve care for nearly every patient visiting our hospitals."
Researchers at the center will analyze data-embedded images, using state-of-the-art AI algorithms and combining these findings with high-throughput genotyping data available at Icahn Mount Sinai. AI will aid in the development of unique ocular biomarkers to enhance understanding of the pathophysiology of eye diseases, uncover healthcare disparities in eye disease, predict the early onset and progression of diseases, facilitate disease monitoring and treatment response, establish precision medicine strategies, and streamline the performance of clinical trials.
Dennis S. Charney, MD, Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of Icahn Mount Sinai and President for Academic Affairs of the Mount Sinai Health System, praised the center, stating, "Mount Sinai continues to be at the forefront of the artificial intelligence revolution and is taking an exciting new step into the field of ophthalmology to collaborate across our health system in order to discover new approaches to solving complex health problems. This new center further demonstrates our strong commitment to developing this field and training the next generation of leaders in eye care and ophthalmology research, specifically in novel areas involving technology and charting new areas of discovery that can quickly be implemented into everyday clinical practice."
