Everyone is affected by ill health at some time in their life. For example:

  • In 2019, 3.5 million people in the UK had diabetes. By 2025, this figure is expected to rise to 4 million. And 50% of these people may also suffer from dry eye disease caused by their diabetes.
  • Endometriosis affects around 176 million women globally. It costs the UK economy £8.2 billion a year in loss of work, treatments and healthcare.
  • Every year 7,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS).
  • Every year more than 113,00 people in the UK have a stroke.

The Vision Graphics and Visualisation (VGV) group at Aberystwyth University carry out research into medical image analysis and healthcare informatics (how data is generated, processed, stored and retrieved). 

Their work aims to help clinicians quickly and easily diagnose conditions and create the best treatment plans for their patients.

Partnership working

The team took part in a series of international multi-centre studies on how Transvaginal Sonography (TVS) can be used to diagnose and manage endometriosis.

They also extended their breast and prostate medical image analysis research into brain segmentation, in particular the segmentation of MS lesions in MRI and PET scan data. Alongside this work, they collaborated with the University of Girona as a main contributor to two other projects on MS lesions.

The team also worked in close partnership with clinical end-users, including Peking University Third Hospital and Royal Liverpool University Hospital, to improve the diagnosis and treatment of retinal disease.

Improving patient outcomes

The team's work has changed clinical practice and helped the commercial sector develop new tools.

Endometriosis
Research into the preoperative real-time evaluation of Transvaginal Sonography has improved the diagnosis of deep endometriosis. Linked to this, the team’s work on a preoperative Ultrasound-Based Endometriosis Staging System means clinicians can predict how complex surgery will be. As a result, the International Deep Endometriosis Analysis Consensus Group has published a new standard to diagnose deep endometriosis.

MS
In recognition of their work on MS lesion segmentation, the team received significant grants from NHS Wales and Health and Care Research Wales to extend their research into improving rehabilitation for stroke patients.

Diabetes
The team's work on retinal disease has provided a consistent approach to how dry eye disease and diabetic neuropathy are assessed and has reduced the time it takes to diagnose patients. As a result, for example, Peking University Third Hospital can now treat an extra 200 patients a year.

New technology
The team's work on MS contributed to the creation of a spin-out company, Tensormedical, which develops software for MS and stroke-related diseases. And their work on mammographic image analysis techniques has been translated into a range of applications in the commercial sector.

 For example, Synopsys, a major software company, has developed orthopaedic segmentation tools, and Toshiba Medical Systems has developed CT Liver analysis software. These tools are widely used to improve clinical reporting and provide better patient outcomes.

Research team

Professor Reyer Zwiggelaar, Dr Chuan Lu and Dr Yonghuai Lu - Aberystwyth University's Vision Graphics and Visualisation (VGV) research group