Primary screening tool for diabetic retinopathy

Florencio González Márquez

FISEVI, Fundación Pública Andaluza para la Gestión de la Investigación en Salud de Sevilla, Spain

The examination of the back of the eye is a fundamental test for the assessment of many diseases. Specifically, diabetes is postulated as one of the pathologies most urgently in need of new, innovative technology to solve the limitations of current tools when establishing primary screening and early diagnosis programs. Diabetes is a health problem with a major health and social impact. More than 8% of the general population suffers from it and it is one of the main causes of blindness in society.

The objective of this project is to develop an Open Retinoscope that allows for a better exploration of the fundus of the eye than with conventional devices, also allowing it to be attached to a smartphone for taking and sending images. The proposed low-cost Open Retinoscope will allow earlier diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy via the primary care practice. As a result, we will obtain a reduction in the time of diagnosis and, as a consequence, of the application of the treatment. This reduces the direct and indirect costs to patients and society of vision loss. In addition, it would optimize the referral process from primary care to specialized care. Finally, it would also be very useful in developing countries where it would increase accessibility to specialized care by an ophthalmologist.