China's domestic ophthalmic AI model, ChatZOC, was officially launched at the Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center (ZOC) of Sun Yat-sen University on June 6, China's National Eye Care Day.
By connecting with the big data platform of ZOC, ChatZOC integrates the latest ophthalmic guidelines and literature. With Huawei's basic AI computing framework, the model undergoes multidimensional, standardized training utilizing advanced technologies such as deep learning and natural language processing.
China's domestic ophthalmic AI model, ChatZOC, was officially launched at the Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center (ZOC) of Sun Yat-sen University on June 6. (Photo provided to GDToday)
With the support of Huawei's products and solutions, ChatZOC has experienced a substantial improvement in its knowledge question-and-answer capabilities, solidifying its position at the forefront of the global ophthalmology domain.
Ocular health constitutes a vital component of national well-being and encompasses individuals across all age groups throughout their lifespans. As the population ages, the demand for ocular disease prevention and treatment continues to escalate. Large AI models represent emerging technologies with the potential to effectively tackle numerous challenges in traditional medical services, allowing for the broader dissemination of high-quality medical resources.
In March 2023, ZOC spearheaded the domestic development of ChatZOC. Subsequently, in December of the same year, a joint research and development initiative was launched with Huawei to collaborate on overcoming technical challenges. In January 2024, the localization of ChatZOC was completed, and it started to empower comprehensive support for medical education, research, prevention, and management.
In terms of medical assistance, ChatZOC can comprehensively process complex clinical information, help doctors communicate with patients, and assist doctors in diagnosis and treatment. In terms of teaching, medical students comprehensively simulate doctor-patient Q&A by interacting with ChatZOC. Additionally, ChatZOC can also provide researchers with one-stop scientific research project and tool management to promote interdisciplinary integration and innovation.
When it comes to digital hospital construction, it provides patients with round-the-clock eye-health consulting services, and tests showed that the patient service efficiency of the ChatZOC-assisted mode can be improved by 75% with the same manpower.
Currently, ChatZOC is being deployed in some hospitals and will be further introduced in various forms such as WeChat mini-programs and apps.
Illustrating with a daily scenario, Prof. Lin Haotian, Director of ZOC, explained, "For instance, if one wakes up in the morning with sudden blurred vision, they can inquire with ChatZOC. It can provide tailored responses to symptom descriptions and offer treatment advice." He introduced that the model attains an expert-level proficiency in the field of ophthalmology.
Prof. Lin also revealed that in the future, ChatZOC will be equipped in remote ophthalmic screening complexes, such as 5G smart ophthalmic patrol vehicles, to break the time and space constraints and realize the integration of "equipment + experts + artificial intelligence".
Author | Hannah
Editor | Olivia, Nan, Monica, James
