Retinal imaging with smartphone

Abstract

The ability to have low cost fundus imaging from readily available smartphones in an eye clinic in Nigeria presents a major boost to patient care and also offers an innovative role in research, education, and information sharing.

Evolution of optic nerve photography for glaucoma screening: a review

“…Mydriatic smartphone fundus photos using a handheld 20 diopter lens have been compared to traditional fundus cameras, with similar ability to identify pathology, but results somewhat dependent of the experience and training of the user . A portable smartphone physically coupled with a 20 diopter lens (requiring less skill and dexterity than the handheld lens approach) has also been used for fundus imaging, but without testing specifically for glaucoma detection . Nazari et al .…”

“…38 A portable smartphone physically coupled with a 20 diopter lens (requiring less skill and dexterity than the handheld lens approach) has also been used for fundus imaging, but without testing specifically for glaucoma detection. 39 Nazari et al published on their technique for this approach. 40 Russo et al created an optical device that attaches to smartphones magnetically allowing capture of 20 fundus photos.…”

Agreement between retinal images obtained via smartphones and images obtained with retinal cameras or fundoscopic exams – systematic review and meta-analysis

“…On the other hand, early examination has been recognized as a proven practice for avoiding harm arising in prevalent situations, as well as for its potential to identify prognostic markers. This has been the case with diabetes,13 arterial hypertension,14 prematurity,15 glaucoma,16 among many other conditions 10,17. The simplicity of smartphone fundoscopy greatly scales up the use and availability of this resource.…”

“…Their use in obtaining retinal images has drawn increasing interest, both as a reading instrument and also for capturing images 4–8. In particular, the use of this resource in underprivileged populations or populations without regular access to ophthalmic exams, or as a means of expanding screening of diseases involving higher prevalence of blindness (such as diabetic retinopathy or glaucoma) has been predominant in published articles 9,10…”

Smartphone-Based, Rapid, Wide-Field Fundus Photography for Diagnosis of Pediatric Retinal Diseases

“…Smartphone-based photography is an especially attractive approach to retinal imaging as it drastically reduces equipment cost while capitalizing on the high-quality camera and computational capacity of smartphones. Two studies in India evaluated the feasibility and utility of a “fundus on phone” camera system for diabetic retinopathy screening and found high sensitivity and specificity for detecting referral-warranted diabetic retinopathy 6,7…”