Affordable, accessible and automatic screening solution for diabetic retinopathy
Diabetes is a growing global health concern, affecting 422M people today and the number is projected to rise to 642M by
2040. Over 30 % of diabetics develop a vision-threatening complication called diabetic retinopathy (DR), which is the most
frequent cause of preventable blindness in working-aged adults. DR is diagnosed from retinal images traditionally graded by
an ophthalmologist. Regular eye screenings are the only effective way to detect disease at early stage to prevent visual
impairment or blindness. Hence, globally more than 1 billion screenings would be needed annually. Time, cost and resource efficient screening methods are needed to reach all diabetics.
Finnish Optomed Oy (Ltd.) combines the precision of their handheld fundus camera with an automatic DR grading to
establish Smartscope-X solution. Smartscope-X consists of three main components: a low-cost handheld fundus camera, an
automated screening algorithm and cloud service for fundus images. With this unique combination, Optomed’s vision is to
bring affordable, accessible and automatic DR screening available for all diabetics. In this project, the key ambition is to
validate and commercialise Smartscope-X solution. The project has four objectives: (1) DR algorithm is integrated into
Optomed fundus camera and Optomed Cloud service is developed, (2) clinical validations are conducted, (3) piloting and
commercialisation of the Smartscope-X, with necessary approvals, (4) to establish a data safety and storage system.
Smartscope-X will have a significant impact on visual impairment and blindness prevention in Europe and globally. Today,
significant equipment investment and an experienced grader or ophthalmologist are needed. Hence, DR screening
availability is limited. Smartscope-X user can be trained to use the solution in 1-2 hours. Screening with Smartscope-X will
cost 10 % of current. Therefore, DR screening becomes available to new customers such as endocrinology clinics and even
primary care.