iGHP Special Lecture Series“When Machines Become Doctors: The Dawn of an AI-Powered
Diagnostic System and Its Implication for the Future”
In the conventional wisdom, we all understood medical AI devices to be a tool used
under a doctor's supervision. However, IDx-DR*, an autonomous AI diagnostic
system that was first of its kind to be approved by Food and Drug Administration(FDA), can detect and diagnose diabetic retinopathy without a doctor. There is apossibility that the FDA-approval of such a system may change the healthcare
industry.
Does the FDA’s authorization suggest that we are in the new era of autonomous AI
diagnostic system without a doctor? Join us for a talk by leading players of the firstever FDA approved diagnostic system and its implications of for the future healthcare systems.

*IDx-DR analyzes image of the retina and detects signs of diabetic
retinopathy. The machine also provides instant results of either adetection of signs of diabetic retinopathy and a recommendation forreferral to an ophthalmologist or a lack of sign of diabetic retinopathy andrecommendation for a follow-up in twelve months.

1. Seminar Details
Date & TimeMonday, October 22, 2018 16:30-18:00

Topic

When Machines Become Doctors: The Dawn of an AI-Powered
Diagnostic System and Its Implication for the Future

Venue

Institute for Global Health Policy Research, Bureau ofInternational Cooperation (Ground floor, Training Center
Building), National Center for Global Health and Medicine,Tokyo

Accesshttp://kyokuhp.ncgm.go.jp/eng/aboutus/access.html

Language

English only (No Japanese interpretation will be available)

Seating capacity

80

Organizer"Wellbeing Research Campus: Creating new values throughtechnological and social innovation"(Core institution; Keio University)
in cooperation with Institute for Global Health Policy Research(iGHP), Bureau of International Cooperation, NCGM andTopcon Corporation

2. Agenda (tentative）•

Opening Remarks : Kenji Shibuya, Director, iGHP, NCGM•

Michael Abramoff, Founder and CEO of IDx “IDx: Story to historic moment ofFDA’s authorization and future”•Mr. Fumio Ohue (Managing Executive Officer, General Manager of Eye Care
Business Division, Topcon Corporation)“The Brilliance of Topcon’s ‘Health Care Through The Eye Strategy,’ theJapanese technology that made IDx-DR possible”•Mr. Ushio Usami (Country leader – Japan, Worldwide Public Sector, AmazonWeb Services Japan K.K.)“New generation health care driven by Cloud Computing”•Discussion Q&A
Moderator: Hiroaki Miyata, Director, Department of Global Health Systems andInnovation (iGHP), NCGM

•Closing

Report on “When Machines Become Doctors: The Dawn of an AI-Powered Diagnostic
System and Its Implication for the Future” (Oct 22, 2018)
On Oct 22, 2018, we, iGHP, had the honor to host Prof. Michael Abramoff, Founderand CEO of IDx; Mr. Fumio Ohue, Managing Executive Officer, General Manager ofEye Care Business Division, Topcon Corporation; and Mr. Ushio Usami, Countryleader – Japan, Worldwide Public Sector, Amazon Web Services Japan K.K..
This seminar provided a talk by leading actors of the first-ever FDA approved AI
automated diagnostic system, IDx-DR*, and its implications of for the future healthcare systems.

Prof. Abramoff presented the background of this significant breakthrough. He
reflected back how he had focused on the device’s usability, quality and precision
during the development phase, while also exploring ways to deliver the device to be
used as a diagnostic tool at the primary care setting. This innovation comes fromfundus camera developed by Topcon Corporation, which has been the leader inadvanced eye care technology. Mr. Ohue described the business strategy anddevelopment for networking, while Mr. Ushio explained what cloud computing drives
to health care and its future aspect. These collaboration brings social value and costbenefit in health care.
In the panel discussion, Prof. Miyata, as a moderator, asked the panelists whether
the FDA’s authorization suggest that we are in the new era of autonomous AI
diagnostic system without a doctor. The appeal of cost effectiveness, especially forpreventative medicine, was stressed not only for the medical industry but also for
the whole society. Prof Miyata also stressed that doctors are empowered rather thanstripped of their powers with the assistance of such technology and that one of thereasons FDA may have approved this AI innovation is because this business model
empowers family physicians.
97 participants in various fields attended and we explored the trend of advanced
data science on next AI generation and innovation as value co-creation.

(*) IDx-DR analyzes image of the retina and detects signs of diabetic retinopathy.
The machine also provides instant results of either a detection of signs of diabetic
retinopathy and a recommendation for referral to an ophthalmologist or a lack ofsign of diabetic retinopathy and recommendation for a follow-up in twelve months.