Keratoconus Classification with Convolutional Neural Networks Using Segmentation and Index Quantification of Eye Topography Images by Particle Swarm Optimisation

In keratoconus, the cornea assumes a conical shape due to its thinning and protrusion. Early detection of keratoconus is vital in preventing vision loss or costly repairs. In corneal topography maps, curvature and steepness can be distinguished by the colour scales, with warm colours representing curved steep areas and cold colours representing flat areas. With the advent of machine learning algorithms like convolutional neural networks (CNN), the identification and classification of keratoconus from these topography maps have been made faster and more accurate. The classification and grading of keratoconus depend on the colour scales used. Artefacts and minimal variations in the corneal shape, in mild or developing keratoconus, are not represented clearly in the image gradients. Segmentation of the maps needs to be carried out for identifying the severity of the keratoconus as well as for identifying the changes in the severity. In this paper, we are considering the use of particle swarm optimisation and its modifications for segmenting the topography image. Pretrained CNN models are then trained with the dataset and tested. Results show that the performance of the system in terms of accuracy is 95.9% compared to 93%, 95.3%, and 84% available in the literature for a 3-class classification that involved mild keratoconus or forme fruste keratoconus.