Enhancing Ophthalmological Diagnoses: An Adaptive Ensemble Learning Approach Using Fundus and OCT Imaging

Abstract

This study presents an innovative Ensemble Disease Learning Algorithm (EDL) for the detection and classification of retinal diseases using fundus images. We enhance our method by incorporating deep learning techniques and multi-modal imaging data, including optical coherence tomography (OCT) images alongside fundus photographs, to provide a more comprehensive understanding of retinal pathology. The advanced EDL integrates Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs) and attention mechanisms with Capsule Networks (CapsNet) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifiers for more nuanced feature extraction and classification. We introduce a novel ensemble adaptive weighting approach that dynamically adjusts classifier weights based on performance across disease types and severity levels, significantly improving the algorithm's handling of complex and rare cases. To enhance model interpretability, we implement an explainable AI component that provides visual heatmaps of the most significant regions for each diagnosis to clinicians. We evaluate the enhanced EDL on a large, diverse dataset encompassing multiple retinal diseases, including diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration, and glaucoma, across various ethnicities and age groups. Our results demonstrate superior accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity compared to our previous model and other state-of-the-art approaches. A prospective clinical validation study assesses the algorithm's real-world performance. This research advances automated retinal disease diagnosis by making it more robust, accurate, and clinically relevant, potentially improving patient outcomes and global eye care through early disease detection and treatment planning.