An Empirical Study on Cataract Multiclass Grading Assessment with Slit Lamp Bio-microscope Images Using Neural Network Models

Abstract

Cataract, an age-related eye disease, poses a significant ophthalmological public health challenge in both developed and developing nations. Tailoring treatment or surgery plans helps accurately categorise the cataract's developmental stage. Precise cataract grading helps in diagnosing cataracts and subsequently scheduling surgical intervention. In this project endeavour, a solution is presented to automate the cataract grading process utilizing slit lamp bio-microscope data sets acquired through smartphones. This innovation is particularly valuable for novice practitioners and non-specialist doctors/experts who may struggle with proficiently interpreting cataract progression, leading to potential misdiagnoses. To address this challenge, a Neural Network model is harnessed to automatically predict the grade of cataracts. The study employs multi-class image classification models, including the Convolutional neural network (CNN) model, the Efficient Net B0 model, and the ResNet50 model, for this purpose. Notably, the ResNet50 model outperforms the other models in terms of accuracy and prediction capability for the provided data set. Achieving an accuracy rate of 0.8611, the ResNet50 model demonstrates superior performance in classifying cataract grades, after augmenting the data set with 544 images. This performance comparison establishes the ResNet50 model as the most robust choice among the considered models and data sets.