A SMARTPHONE device which healthcare workers can use to carry out eye examinations could help tackle blindness around the world, according to scientists.
The Portable Eye Examination Kit (Peek) consists of smartphone apps and an adapter which can be used anywhere in the world to test eyes easily and at low cost.
The Peek Retina smartphone adapter clips over the phone's camera and enables health workers to see inside the eye, save photos and then send them to experts for diagnosis. In addition to eye diseases, it could help detect other health problems, such as diabetes and high blood pressure. The Peek tools are being developed as a collaboration between the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, the University of Strathclyde and the NHS Glasgow Centre for Ophthalmic Research. People are now being urged to raise extra funds to develop the Peek tools through crowdfunding site Indiegogo.
Dr Andrew Bastawrous, a clinical lecturer and ophthalmologist within the International Centre for Eye Health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: "With Peek we are hoping to increase the access to eye care to the millions of people who are blind and shouldn't be. There are so many hard-working and excellent eye care workers in hospitals and charities and one of the greatest challenges they face is getting expertise and diagnostic tools to remote locations - we hope Peek will support their efforts to alleviate unnecessary sight loss."
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