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Stream/Area:
-
Subject:
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Paper ID:
IJSREM65534
Volume:
10 |
6 |
Jun 2026
Pages:
1--
Publication Frequency:
Monthly (12 issues per year)
License:International Journal of Scientific Research in Engineering and Management follows the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) License, allowing free use and distribution with proper attribution.
Department of Artificial Intelligence and Data Science
Anjuman-I-Islam Abdul Razzak Kalsekar Polytechnic Campus
Department of Artificial Intelligence and Data Science
Anjuman-I-Islam Abdul Razzak Kalsekar Polytechnic Campus
Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of blindness, yet outcomes improve dramatically when the condition is caught early. Deep learning models now rival specialists in DR screening, but their “black box” nature continues to worry clinicians. We propose an explainable AI framework that pairs a convolutional neural network with several post hoc explanation techniques, enabling the model to both detect DR in fundus photographs and reveal which retinal regions drive its predictions. The system builds on a transfer learned ResNet 50 backbone and combines Grad CAM, LIME, and SHAP to offer visual, local, and Shapley value explanations. Training and validation used the EyePACS dataset (35 126 images); a separate Messidor 2 set served as the independent test bed. Overall accuracy reached 96.5 %, with 94.8 % sensitivity and 97.3 % specificity. Generated explanation maps consistently highlighted microaneurysms, exudates, and haemorrhages. A small reader study with three ophthalmologists confirmed that the explanations significantly boosted diagnostic confidence and trust. The framework shows that high performance and genuine interpretability can go hand in hand, bringing us closer to clinically deployable DR screening.
KEYWORDS
We have presented an end‑to‑end XAI framework for detecting diabetic retinopathy that combines solid classification performance with multimodal, human‑readable explanations. The complementary nature of Grad‑CAM, LIME, and SHAP gives clinicians a fuller picture of model reasoning, fosters trust, and helps flag potential errors. In the future, we plan to extend the system to video‑based OCT‑angiography and to incorporate concept‑based explanations grounded in medical lesion ontologies. Prospective clinical trials are on the horizon to test the impact in real screening workflows.
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Publication Date
6/26/2026
Peer Review Type
Double-Blind Peer Review
Review Rounds: 2
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The authors declare no conflict of interest related to this research work.
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