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Prevention of avoidable blindness using Deep Learning and Robotics

Prevention of avoidable blindness using Deep Learning and Robotics

India flag

India

Healthcare

High replicability and adaption

Implementing Organisation

Artificial Learning Systems India Pvt Ltd (Artelus)

India, Karnataka, Bengaluru

Private Sector

Implementing Point of Contact

Girish Somvanshi

Director

Contributor of the Impact Story

Artificial Learning Systems India Pvt Ltd (Artelus)

Year of implementation

2016

Problem statement

Despite significant advances in retinal imaging and treatment, avoidable blindness remains a growing public health challenge in India and other low- and middle-income regions. Conditions such as diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration often progress silently and are detected late. Retinal screening today is constrained by the dependence on scarce specialists, bulky and expensive equipment, and subjective interpretation of images.

Impact story details

Artelus is an Indian deeptech healthcare company focused on preventing avoidable blindness by making retinal screening and diagnosis accurate, affordable, accessible, and available. The organization designs and manufactures portable, electricity-independent ophthalmic imaging devices and pairs them with AI-based retinal analytics to detect abnormalities early. Artelus has enabled large-scale impact through screening initiatives - having screened over 180,000 people and identified more than 40,000 individuals with retinal abnormalities.

AI Technology Used

Deep Learning

Key Outcomes

Economic Value Creation

Access

Reach

Inclusion

Equity

Impact Metrics

Reduction in Cost per Screening

Post-Implementation

Cost brought down to between INR 150-250 per screening

Increase in patients screened per day using AI-assisted workflows

Post-Implementation

Increase in patients screened to 80-100 per day

Number of technicians/operators trained to conduct AI-assisted screenings

Post-Implementation

Over 200 operators trained in AI-assisted screening

Total Beneficiaries Screened

Post-Implementation

Over 200,000 individuals screened

Improvement in Screening Coverage in Underserved Areas

Post-Implementation

Deployments and screenings enabled across multiple rural districts and villages

Implementation Context

Deployed

India, Nepal, Saudi Arabia, UAE; Agreement/negotiation stage in Morocco and UK; planned expansion in Africa, CIS countries, SE Asia, US

Underserved people with limited access to healthcare, over 200,000 individuals screened

Key Partnerships

CFS, Narayan Nethralaya, PGIMER, SightSavers, Noor Dubai

Replicability & Adaptation

High

Artelus is suited for adaptation across diverse geographies with portable, camp-ready setup with battery backup. Offline-first AI enables consistent performance in low-connectivity settings.

* The data presented is self-reported by the respective organisations. Readers should consult the original sources for further details.