Smartphones to eye-dentify ophthalmic diseases
The new technology, which should give more of the world access to eyecare, is set to enter the manufacturing phase
Ophthalmologists have typically required expensive and bulky equipment to carry out eye investigations. But a new smartphone tool means doctors in remote parts of the world can now carry out their examinations easily and at a low cost
Doctors working in remote areas of the world will soon be able to identify those suffering from eye problems more easily, thanks to a new portable eye examination tool. The new technology is an inexpensive smartphone adaptor that allows ophthalmologists to carry out diagnoses in the field or in isolated practices bereft of more expensive equipment.
This new technology makes eye examinations more accessible as it uses a clip-on camera built for smartphones
The technology, known as ‘the Peek’ (Portable Eye Examination Kit), was designed by Kate Tarling and Mario Giardini, with the initiative led by Andrew Bastawrous and Stewart Jordan. Bastawrous has previously delivered a TED Talk on the project. The Peek achieved its crowdfunding target of £130,475 and manufacturing is now underway.
According to the Peek’s Indiegogo fundraising page: “Around 39 million people are blind. 80 percent of this blindness is avoidable, but in many regions people don’t have access to eyecare.” Traditional eye diagnosis equipment is bulky, heavy and dependent upon a reliable source of electricity, which often mean it’s out of reach in many parts of the world.
This new technology makes eye examinations more accessible as it uses a clip-on camera built for smartphones, which is able to give “high quality images of the back of the eye and the retina”. These pictures can be used to diagnose “cataracts, glaucoma and many other eye diseases”. The page claims a health worker with the Peek equipment can examine up to 1,000 peoples’ eyes a week.
