Peek Vision is a new eye testing system that runs on a standard-issue smartphone and can be used to help limit blindness in all corners of the world.
With a mobile app and lens adapter the system provides an easy-to-use, affordable and portable system for testing eyes, whether in a clinic or in the comfort of a patient’s home.
According to the peekvision.org web site, 80% of blindness is avoidable. But existing eye care tools are expensive, difficult to use and to access, so many people don’t get treated quickly enough, or at all.
Peek turns a smartphone into a comprehensive eye exam tool. It’s been tested in the remotest locations and gives high resolution images of the eye at a fraction of the cost – even on a standard 4-inch smartphone screen.
A low-cost adapter, coupled with supporting software, allows for high-quality retinal imaging, and can help to grade a cataract’s severity for treatment classification.
In addition, images and patient info can be securely stored and shared for off-site review.
The app uses SMS and location-mapping to find and contact patients in remote locations.
Peek is a social enterprise consisting of a team of ophthalmologists, engineers, business experts and software developers.
The project was during the planning of a study in rural Kenya, where the logistics of getting the required equipment to remote locations was prohibitive – and the need for a better way to tackle the problem was identified.
