Scientists in Japan believe they have helped to improve access to eye screening by developing a portable, low-cost slit lamp.
As reported in Optometry Today, researchers at Tohoku University have built a device supported by artificial intelligence and capable of anterior segment biometry, at a cost of around AU$700.
Their study, published in Scientific Reports, found that the portable device did a good job of estimating anterior chamber depth in 170 study participants and showed “excellent agreement” with anterior segment optical coherence tomography.
“These results establish the first ultra–low-cost platform capable of automated, quantitative, and anatomically calibrated anterior segment imaging, offering a scalable foundation for community screening and teleophthalmology in resource-limited settings,” the authors noted.
“The device consistently produced high-contrast slit [lamp] images that revealed clinically relevant ocular structures and abnormalities.”
Study participants reported the device was comfortable to use – with minimal glare or photic discomfort compared with conventional slit lamp examinations.