KUALA LUMPUR: Nova MSC Bhd (Nova MSC), which is the exclusive distributor of EyRIS Pte Ltd's (EyRIS) products, has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Association of Malaysian Optometrists (AMO) and Rhazes Consultancy Services Sdn Bhd (RCS), a tele-pharmacy platform provider, to bring its AI Deep Learning Technology, SELENA+ to mainstream adoption in Malaysia.
Under the collaboration, SELENA+ will be deployed to AMO's more than 1,000 members across Malaysia via RCS Telehealth.
Nova MSC general manager Nazeroll Kasim said the company is optimistic that the collaboration with AMO and RCS will drive forward the adoption of SELENA+ in Malaysia.
"During the pandemic, we have seen a rise in telehealth and how it has gradually moved towards mainstream adoption," he said in a statement today.
RCS Telehealth is Malaysia's first knowledge-based telehealth service provider through its brand Rhazes TeleOpto.
EyRIS is 42 per cent owned by novaHEALTH Pte Ltd, which Nova MSC wholly owns.
AMO president Ahmad Fadhullah Fuzai said the deployment of SELENA+ to AMO's member practices across the country will help to improve the range and quality of services.
"This synergistic partnership with Nova will see the launch of SELENA+, and it will be deployed initially in 55 practices across Malaysia through Rhazes' TeleOpto Platform, eventually expanding to the other member practices within a year," he said.
SELENA+ can detect up to three retinal diseases, principally diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma suspect and age-related macular degeneration.
Early screening and detection of these diseases can significantly reduce vision loss. For example, in the case of diabetic retinopathy, studies have shown that diabetes-related vision loss can be reduced by up to 47 per cent.
EyRIS' SELENA+ has been approved for use by the Malaysian Medical Device Authority since 22nd June 2020.
Aside from that, a new algorithm will be added to detect chronic kidney disease (CKD) through the same fundus image used by EyRIS' SELENA+ to detect the three retinal illnesses mentioned earlier.
Nova MSC group chief executive officer Lai Teik Kin said the addition of this new algorithm would help the company be a gamechanger in the first stage of diagnostic, a drive towards implementing rapid screening tools to aid early detection for early detection systemic diseases.
"Our CKD algorithm boasts an 85 per cent accuracy rate, and uses of the non-invasive fundus imaging allows results to be generated within 10-15 seconds with ease, speed and accuracy," Lai said.
The push to deploy SELENA+ into mainstream adoption in healthcare services has seen the availability of its technology in 26 countries.
To continue expanding disease detection capabilities through its cutting-edge AI deep learning technology, EyRIS has inked a research collaboration agreement with a speciality centre under the National Healthcare Group (NHG) to develop a new proprietary artificial intelligence (AI) that detects melanoma using a mobile phone camera.
This was facilitated by NHG's Centre for Medical Technologies & Innovations (CMTi).
Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer, and early detection can increase the five-year survival rate to 99 per cent.
With one in every three cancer diagnoses being skin cancer and the high melanoma incidence rate of 3.4 per 100,000 worldwide, the ability to detect skin cancer early through non-invasive, mobile imaging will contribute to the fight against skin cancer mortality.