An IoT-Enabled mHealth Sensing Approach for Remote Detection of Keratoconus Using Smartphone Technology

Keratoconus (KC) is a progressive eye disease and a major cause of vision impairment and blindness worldwide. Early diagnosis is crucial for effective management, yet conventional diagnostic methods rely on expensive and bulky imaging devices, limiting accessibility, especially in resource-constrain...

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Main Authors: Behnam Askarian, Amin Askarian, Fatemehsadat Tabei, Jo Woon Chong
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-02-01
Series:Sensors
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/5/1316
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author Behnam Askarian
Amin Askarian
Fatemehsadat Tabei
Jo Woon Chong
author_facet Behnam Askarian
Amin Askarian
Fatemehsadat Tabei
Jo Woon Chong
author_sort Behnam Askarian
collection DOAJ
description Keratoconus (KC) is a progressive eye disease and a major cause of vision impairment and blindness worldwide. Early diagnosis is crucial for effective management, yet conventional diagnostic methods rely on expensive and bulky imaging devices, limiting accessibility, especially in resource-constrained settings. This paper introduces a novel smartphone-based approach for the early detection of KC, leveraging screen-projected Placido disc patterns and an advanced image processing framework. Unlike traditional corneal topographers, our method utilizes a unique Placido disc projection technique and a machine learning-based classification model to analyze corneal irregularities with high precision. With a sensitivity of 96.08%, specificity of 97.96%, and overall accuracy of 97% on our dataset, the proposed system demonstrates exceptional diagnostic reliability. By transforming a standard smartphone into an effective screening tool, this innovation provides an affordable, portable, and user-friendly solution for early KC detection, bridging the gap in eye care accessibility and reducing the global burden of undiagnosed keratoconus.
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spelling doaj-art-a3e07802ad3148deb716ef3396dfbb7c2025-08-20T02:52:45ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202025-02-01255131610.3390/s25051316An IoT-Enabled mHealth Sensing Approach for Remote Detection of Keratoconus Using Smartphone TechnologyBehnam Askarian0Amin Askarian1Fatemehsadat Tabei2Jo Woon Chong3College of Engineering, West Texas A&M University, Canyon, TX 79016, USAAskarian Clinic, Shiraz 71877-75778, IranCollege of Engineering, West Texas A&M University, Canyon, TX 79016, USADepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX 79409, USAKeratoconus (KC) is a progressive eye disease and a major cause of vision impairment and blindness worldwide. Early diagnosis is crucial for effective management, yet conventional diagnostic methods rely on expensive and bulky imaging devices, limiting accessibility, especially in resource-constrained settings. This paper introduces a novel smartphone-based approach for the early detection of KC, leveraging screen-projected Placido disc patterns and an advanced image processing framework. Unlike traditional corneal topographers, our method utilizes a unique Placido disc projection technique and a machine learning-based classification model to analyze corneal irregularities with high precision. With a sensitivity of 96.08%, specificity of 97.96%, and overall accuracy of 97% on our dataset, the proposed system demonstrates exceptional diagnostic reliability. By transforming a standard smartphone into an effective screening tool, this innovation provides an affordable, portable, and user-friendly solution for early KC detection, bridging the gap in eye care accessibility and reducing the global burden of undiagnosed keratoconus.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/5/1316keratoconus (KC)corneal topographysmartphonePlacido discsupport vector machine (SVM)
spellingShingle Behnam Askarian
Amin Askarian
Fatemehsadat Tabei
Jo Woon Chong
An IoT-Enabled mHealth Sensing Approach for Remote Detection of Keratoconus Using Smartphone Technology
Sensors
keratoconus (KC)
corneal topography
smartphone
Placido disc
support vector machine (SVM)
title An IoT-Enabled mHealth Sensing Approach for Remote Detection of Keratoconus Using Smartphone Technology
title_full An IoT-Enabled mHealth Sensing Approach for Remote Detection of Keratoconus Using Smartphone Technology
title_fullStr An IoT-Enabled mHealth Sensing Approach for Remote Detection of Keratoconus Using Smartphone Technology
title_full_unstemmed An IoT-Enabled mHealth Sensing Approach for Remote Detection of Keratoconus Using Smartphone Technology
title_short An IoT-Enabled mHealth Sensing Approach for Remote Detection of Keratoconus Using Smartphone Technology
title_sort iot enabled mhealth sensing approach for remote detection of keratoconus using smartphone technology
topic keratoconus (KC)
corneal topography
smartphone
Placido disc
support vector machine (SVM)
url https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/5/1316
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