Automated retinal image analysis over the internet.

Retinal clinicians and researchers make extensive use of images, and the current emphasis is on digital imaging of the retinal fundus. The goal of this paper is to introduce a system, known as retinal image vessel extraction and registration system, which provides the community of retinal clinicians, researchers, and study directors an integrated suite of advanced digital retinal image analysis tools over the Internet. The capabilities include vasculature tracing and morphometry, joint (simultaneous) montaging of multiple retinal fields, cross-modality registration (color/red-free fundus photographs and fluorescein angiograms), and generation of flicker animations for visualization of changes from longitudinal image sequences. Each capability has been carefully validated in our previous research work. The integrated Internet-based system can enable significant advances in retina-related clinical diagnosis, visualization of the complete fundus at full resolution from multiple low-angle views, analysis of longitudinal changes, research on the retinal vasculature, and objective, quantitative computer-assisted scoring of clinical trials imagery. It could pave the way for future screening services from optometry facilities.