Computerized cataract detection and classification.

156 eyes of patients and normal volunteers were classified at the slit lamp into the following pure groups: normal (n = 50), nuclear (n = 39), cortical (n = 33) and PSC (n = 34). The eyes were photographed with the Topcon SL-45 Scheimpflug camera and the images scanned and processed to obtain one dimensional profiles through a 40 x 440 micron axial window. Of the 156 profiles, 90 were used as reference samples and were processed to obtain average profiles. The remaining 66 "unknown" profiles and each of the reference profiles, were classified into the four groups based on their distance from the average profiles in Euclidean space. The system was found to be very sensitive (98%) in detecting the presence of cataracts and specific (100%) in identifying normal, i.e. cataract negative lenses. In classifying pure cataracts into the various classes 98% of answers were correct.