Project description
Advanced image processing for early eye disease detection
Preventable eye diseases affect thousands of people worldwide. Clinical eye images can be analysed to improve early detection. While macrostructural biomarkers related to eye shape are well-known, microstructural tissue biomarkers remain largely unexplored. The ERC-funded VISIONSAFE project will focus on extracting both macro- and microstructure biomarkers from clinical images of the retina, lens, and cornea to aid early disease detection and personalised management. The project will combine data science, advanced image processing, and experimental validation to enhance our understanding of the relationship between biomarkers in common sight-threatening diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, cataracts, and corneal ectasia, using efficient and accessible tools.
Objective
Clinical eye images could be explored in an entirely new way to provide early detection of serious eye diseases that currently affect thousands worldwide yet could be preventable. The objective of VISIONSAFE is to extract macro- and microstructure biomarkers from real-world clinical images depicting the retina, lens, and cornea, thereby facilitating early disease detection and personalised management. While macrostructural biomarkers related to ocular shape are well-established, microstructural biomarkers related to tissue remain largely unexplored. The project's foundation rests on the preliminary work of the PI, which demonstrated the feasibility of deriving disease-related microstructure biomarkers from low-resolution clinical eye images. The approach combines data science, advanced image processing, and rigorous experimental validation to better understand the interplay between macro- and microstructural biomarkers in prevalent sight-threatening eye diseases, including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), glaucoma, cataracts, and corneal ectasia, using efficient, cost-effective, and accessible tools. VISIONSAFE covers several ground-breaking aspects: clinical eye data is already available but underused (can we use data science for vision preservation?); the acquisition and combination of macro- and microstructural biomarkers from clinical images have not yet been considered (is this combination a key for the early diagnosis of eye diseases? Are we missing out essential information from already available data?). The project's potential gains are significant. It enhances knowledge on eye disease biomarkers accessible through routine eye exams, shifts the paradigm toward macro- and microstructural biomarker synergy, and represents an important step towards a future where eye diseases are identified and managed earlier, offering hope and improved quality of life to countless individuals.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2024-STG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
50009 Zaragoza
Spain
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