MIT researchers have developed a handheld device that uses cell phones to test vision. The device could be especially useful in poor countries, where eye testing is not readily available.
Although
glasses and contacts are commonplace in the developed world, uncorrected vision
errors are a leading cause of blindness in poor countries, according to the World
Health Organization.
Such vision problems could be easily corrected if diagnostic methods were
readily available, which, unfortunately, they are not. Researchers from MIT
have developed a new method of vision testing that could revolutionize eye care
throughout the world.
Current
techniques of vision testing are inconvenient and expensive, consisting mostly
of those large machines—called phoropters—with scores of lights and lenses.
Another less common and more expensive machine is the aberrometer, which uses
lasers to measure the movements of the eye. These machines are rare in
developing countries, which lack financial resources and trained personnel.
Unlike
traditional machines, a new device, called Near-Eye Tool for Refractive
Assessment (NETRA), is handheld and inexpensive. It consists of a piece of
plastic that clips onto a user’s cell phone, which must be loaded with special
software. Inside the plastic is a lens, through which the user views parallel
lines. He/she then uses the arrow keys to adjust the lines. The lines change
position and the test is repeated for the other eye in a process that takes
less than 2 minutes.
Ankit
Mohan, one of the researchers, demonstrates the new device. The small vision
test clips onto a cell phone to deliver accurate results in seconds (source:
Andy Ryan, MIT).
Perhaps most promising about the device is its price. While phoropters can cost
upward of $3,000 and aberrometers even
more, the clip-on vision test can be manufactured for less than $2. The
researchers predict that, in large quantities, it could be produced for just a
few cents. Such a low price is vital for developing countries, which will also
benefit from the machine’s ease of use. Untrained nurses and other workers will
be able to quickly and easily test patients’ vision. And while the device’s
reliance on cell phones might seem unsuitable for poor nations, mobile devices are much more common than doctors in developing
countries.
"Our
device has the potential to make routine refractive eye exams simpler and
cheaper, and, therefore, more accessible to millions of people in developing
countries," states Manuel Oliveira, a visiting professor at MIT and one of
the researchers on the project, according to the MIT press release.
Other
researchers included professor Ramesh Raskar, Ph.D. candidate Vitor Pamplona and
postdoctoral research associate Ankit Mohan. The team has applied for a patent
on the device.
eye carePosted on: 07-06-10 | By: AnonymousI think this will be the great help for the eye health care.
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Tamara
A user comment on this articlePosted on: 06-29-10 | By: SK JHAGreat.
Had read about it several weeks back. Hope it comes to India soon. It would be a great tool and help the masses.
congrats to inventors.
A user comment on this articlePosted on: 06-29-10 | By: RebeccaSince this device is so cheap and so easy to make (and already manufactured--not just designed) I imagine it will become available quite soon. Keep in mind, however, you may never see it in the US or other developed countries. Instead, it's planned for use in poor nations where ophthalmologists are not readily available.
When?Posted on: 06-29-10 | By: AnonymousThe more important would be "When will this device be made available?" History shows that technologies and other sundries are talked about, but never appear when and where they should.
Great technologyPosted on: 06-29-10 | By: Darriel WilksAs a person who has suffered with eye problems all my life I feel of people who can not get eye care. This will be a great help to poor countries.
