Smartphones could soon assist in identifying conditions like glaucoma and cataracts and tackle avoidable blindness |
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Common eye degeneration diseases like glaucoma, cataracts as well as diabetic retinopathy could soon be detected in the comfort of your home via a smartphone-based eye examination kit – Peek Retina (the Portable Eye Examination Kit).
Easy eye testing could soon be widely available by courtesy of Peek Vision, whose team of ophthalmologists, engineers, software developers and researchers has developed and tested a prototype of a mobile app and lens adapter Peek Retina.
The project is a collaboration between the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the University of Strathclyde and the NHS Glasgow Centre for Ophthalmic Research.
Peek Retina consists of a smartphone adapter that clips over the phone's camera, producing high quality images which compare favourably with traditional ophthalmoscopes and retinal cameras.
It scans the retina (thin light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye) by using the appropriate amount of light intensity pointed at the necessary angle (LED flash illuminates the retina).
The development of PEEK smartphone app
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that there are around 39 million people worldwide who are blind, with another 256 million suffering from visual impairments.
The scientists estimate that about 80% of such cases could be prevented or reversed if people had adequate and timely access to diagnosis and proper treatment.
These statistics have sparked off the development of a low-cost easy-to-use portable adapter that enables quick but comprehensive eye examinations.
The device could also prove to be useful in identifying other conditions and complications of diabetes, malaria or meningitis, which can impact vision and indicate brain swelling.
Peek allows for high quality retinal imaging and securely stores the images and patient's records, which can then be shared for off-site review via e-mail or MMS.
Peek Retina may be used by doctors, healthworkers as well as smartphone users anywhere in the world.
It is easy to use, portable, provides accurate and early diagnosis and is considerably cheaper than traditional, bulky eye-check equipment.
On-screen instructions allow vision testing without formal training.
The app allows individuals with minimal training to conduct a comprehensive examination, which is a common goal shared by its developers.
Peek's main purpose is to expand access to high quality eye care by empowering health workers to diagnose eye diseases and simplifying the treatment management and monitoring anywhere in the world.
In addition to using Peek Retina in clinics, hospitals and research centres, the device is also great for use in industrialized areas, at nursing homes or prisons, in schools, and by non-health professionals at home.
PEEK has been field-tested and assessed in the harshest of conditions
''Peek Retina is a superb combination of top engineering experience and ingenuity which will have a strong social impact. The Peek Retina adapter is the most exciting thing my group has ever designed.It is incredibly simple and yet it will change the way we look at eyes", said dr. Dr. Mario Giardini, one of the researchers.
So far Peek Retina has been tested in remote locations such as Mali, Botswana and Kenya, with encouraging results.
The researchers behind Peek Retina say that more than 1000 people have received some form of treatment and restored their eyesight.
The device has also proved its efficiency in the harshest of conditions. In December 2012 an expedition set off to cross Antarctica in winter.
The team took Peek along to monitor the effects of cold and prolonged darkness on their eye health, assessing Peek's potential in extremely harsh conditions.
Eye care for the poorest of the poor
The company goes even further in the development of the project, extending access to quality eye care throughout the world.
For the project to be a success, they need to find a sustainable way of sharing the technology as far and wide as possible.
Their goal is to reach "the poorest of the poor", to provide affordable eye examinations and high quality eye care in the remotest of settings.
To scale the Peek Retina, its creators have launched a worlwide crowdfunding campaign to enable the manufacture and delivery of Peek tools on a global scale to the people who need it most.
They hope to begin distribution by October 2015.
The sources used in the article include
[url=http://www.peekvision.org]http://www.peekvision.org[/url]
[url=http://www.lshtm.ac.uk]http://www.lshtm.ac.uk[/url]
[url=http://www.bbc.com]http://www.bbc.com[/url]
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