A new medical device that uses artificial intelligence to detect diabetic retinopathy in adults has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The new device will provide adults with an early diagnostic tool. The software program is known as IDx-DR and it uses an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm to analyze images of the eye taken with a Topcon NW400 retinal camera. The device can be used by other healthcare providers besides eye care professionals, which means that the results from the device are usable by all medical professionals.