Deep learning tool to diagnose retinopathy of prematurity in newborns
Official title: Deep Learning-based Diagnosis of Retinopathy of Prematurity
Funded at The Trustees of the Stevens Institute of Technology · NIH-11401397 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new AI-based diagnostic tool uses eye images from premature babies to help clinicians identify treatment-needed retinopathy of prematurity.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | The Trustees of the Stevens Institute of Technology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Hoboken, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $538,920 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EY036203-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11401397 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Premature babies at risk for retinopathy of prematurity who undergo retinal imaging as part of routine screening.
✕Less likely to help
Infants who do not develop ROP or do not require treatment would not gain direct benefit from the diagnostic tool.
What this research studies
This grant aims to build and test a deep learning system that can analyze images of a baby’s retina to flag cases of retinopathy of prematurity that require treatment. It focuses on overcoming limited training data and variations in image quality from different imaging devices. The project will develop methods to augment data and standardize image inputs so the AI can reliably assist doctors in making timely decisions for at-risk infants.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the tool could help doctors diagnose dangerous ROP earlier and more consistently, potentially reducing childhood blindness.
How similar studies have gone: Previous AI approaches have shown promise but face challenges with data scarcity and cross-device image variation; this project builds on that groundwork with new data augmentation and normalization methods.
Where this research is happening
-
The Trustees of the Stevens Institute of Technology
Hoboken, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kang-Mieler, Jennifer J — The Trustees of the Stevens Institute of Technology
- Study coordinator: Kang-Mieler, Jennifer J
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.