The Eye as a Window to Systemic Health: A Survey of Retinal Imaging from Classical Techniques to Oculomics

TL;DR

This survey reviews the evolution of retinal imaging and AI-driven analysis, emphasizing its potential to reveal systemic health insights and facilitate early diagnosis of various diseases through oculomics.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of retinal imaging techniques, discusses the integration of AI, and highlights research gaps and future directions in oculomics.

Findings

Retinal imaging techniques have evolved significantly over time.

AI integration enhances systemic health assessment from retinal data.

Oculomics offers promising non-invasive disease markers.

Abstract

The unique vascularized anatomy of the human eye, encased in the retina, provides an opportunity to act as a window for human health. The retinal structure assists in assessing the early detection, monitoring of disease progression and intervention for both ocular and non-ocular diseases. The advancement in imaging technology leveraging Artificial Intelligence has seized this opportunity to bridge the gap between the eye and human health. This track paves the way for unveiling systemic health insight from the ocular system and surrogating non-invasive markers for timely intervention and identification. The new frontiers of oculomics in ophthalmology cover both ocular and systemic diseases, and getting more attention to explore them. In this survey paper, we explore the evolution of retinal imaging techniques, the dire need for the integration of AI-driven analysis, and the shift of retinal imaging from classical techniques to oculomics. We also discuss some hurdles that may be faced in the progression of oculomics, highlighting the research gaps and future directions.