DeepAdapter: a generalisable algorithm integrating self-supervised learning and unsupervised domain adaptation for robust retinopathy of prematurity screening

AIMS: To develop and validate DeepAdapter, a novel deep learning algorithm that integrates self-supervised learning (SSL) and unsupervised domain adaptation (UDA) to enhance model generalisability for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) screening. METHODS: DeepAdapter was developed in two stages. First, SSL was applied to 500 000 unlabelled infantile colour fundus photographs (CFPs) retrospectively collected from four Chinese clinical centres to learn general fundus representations. Second, a much smaller labelled dataset of Normal and ROP CFPs was constructed, and a UDA module was incorporated to mitigate domain shift, defined as distribution differences between training and deployment datasets that may impair model performance. Correlation Alignment (CORAL) distance was employed to quantify these domain shifts. External validation was performed using data from an independent clinical centre and two public multiethnic datasets. RESULTS: . Both algorithms achieved high internal accuracy (0.989) in ROP prediction, but DeepAdapter significantly outperformed the supervised method on external testing (accuracy: 0.828 (95% CI 0.823 to 0.833) vs 0.739 (95% CI 0.733 to 0.745), p <0.001) and on the public cross-ethnicity dataset (accuracy: 0.839 (95% CI 0.818 to 0.859) vs 0.813 (95% CI 0.791 to 0.835), p=0.014). A web-based system integrating quality control and ROP diagnosis was developed for large-scale, multicentre clinical screening. CONCLUSIONS: DeepAdapter effectively mitigated domain shift and significantly improved model generalisability for ROP screening, providing a valuable reference for developing generalisable models in other medical specialties.