EyeWorld Asia-Pacific September 2016 Issue

44 September 2016 EWAP CATARACT/IOL Multidimensional radial basis function surface response model showing an optimized relationship among IOL power, axial length, and ACD. Source: Warren Hill, MD Screenshot of the Hill RBF Calculator by Vanessa Caceres EyeWorld Contributing Writer Taking a new approach to IOL power calculations C ataract surgeons are always striving for better accuracy when it comes to the selection of IOL power prior to cataract surgery. The introduction of a new calculator that uses an out- of-the-box approach may make it easier for them to achieve that goal. The radial basis function (RBF) calculator is the result of a team effort led by Warren Hill, MD , Mesa, Arizona, and is now available on the ASCRS website (www.ascrs.org, under “Online Tools”). What makes this calculator different from its predecessors is its use of pattern recognition based in artificial intelligence, rather than the more common theoretical formula approach used by previous IOL power calculation methods. “For mathematical modeling, the use of radial basis functions is a type of artificial neural network that has many practical uses and dates back to its first description in 1988,” Dr. Hill said. “Ophthalmology is only one of a wide variety of applications of this technology, employing a form of pattern recognition.” In fact, software using radial basis functions is used in other everyday technology, including facial recognition software, fingerprint identification, electrocardiogram analysis, and various forms of sophisticated financial forecasting. When it comes to predicting