Camera App and Attachment Turns Any Smartphone Into an Eye Exam Lab On-The-Go

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Smartphones have revolutionized the way we go about our everyday lives. And while more often than not they’re used for more trivial tasks, there are times where their ubiquity and decreasing costs play a vital role in far more meaningful endeavors.

One such case is Peek Retina, a smartphone camera adapter and accompanying app that enables anyone with the know-how to perform an extensive eye exam on anyone… anywhere. The humanitarian potential is obvious.

An image of the inside of the eye taken with Peek Retina
An image of the inside of the eye taken with Peek Retina

Peek Retina is the result of collaboration between a handful of universities, researchers, designers and developers, each of whom played a vital role in creating a proficient eye exam tool that’s designed to be used the globe over, but more specifically in locations where medical care is scarce.

The resulting product is a hardware/software duo that eliminates the need to carry around the bulky gear more commonly used to perform eye exams.

The clip-on camera adapter can be attached to almost any smartphone camera and can help eye doctors diagnose cataracts, glaucoma and numerous other eye ailments using a hybrid ophthalmoscope and retinal camera technology that can fit in your pocket.

The project is currently being funded through IndieGoGo, where it’s already amassed over 50% of its £70,000 ($11k USD) goal. For a pledge of £60 ($95 USD), you can either secure yourself a Peek Retina or have the team send one to a healthcare worker on your behalf. Unfortunately, shipping to the US isn’t an option until the FDA gives Peek Retina a thumbs up.

To take a closer look at the technology and find out how Peek Retina plans to change the world one eye exam at a time, head over to the Indiegogo campaign by clicking here.

(via Digital Trends)

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