The American Journal of Opthalmology published the research from the Joslin Diabetes Center.

Images produced using Optos's optomap compared favourably with the existing industry standard, protocol fundus photography, for determining diabetic retinopathy.

The optomap images also took less than half the time of a traditional digital fundus camera.

Diabetic retinopathy is responsible for 4.8% of the 37 million cases of blindness due to eye diseases, although early detection can help to reduce the risk of complete sight loss.

Roy Davis, chief executive of Optos, said: "We are extremely pleased with these results. We believe that this study, combined with the increasing body of clinical evidence, demonstrates the benefits of ultra-widefield imaging to clinicians."

Dr Lloyd Paul Aiello, from Joslin's Beetham Eye Institute, led the study and said the results suggested the quality of the images from the Optos technology was comparable with existing techniques. He added: "The additional benefits of easier operation, no pupil dilation and more rapid image acquisition will be significant improvements if these results are confirmed across diverse sites and broader diabetic populations."