New ophthalmoscope could win $100k prize

The developers of a lens-free ophthalmoscope are up for a $100,000 award.

Cambridge-based medical devices specialist Ophthalmos has been nominated for the Saatchi & Saatchi Award for World Changing Ideas. Ten others are competing for the winning prize in the final.

The ophthalmoscope, called the Optyse, was invented by retired surgeon and company consultant Roger Armour. He trained in Pakistan and as a medical student in Lahore he had been frustrated that he could not afford a conventional ophthalmoscope.

Armour used a pen torch and reflecting card from his two-year-old grandson's books, and spent less than 1 on an early prototype.
'I did some cutting and sticking and tested it on my wife,' he said. 'To my amazement, I could see inside her eye.'

The Optyse is the result of five years' research and development, and the company claimed that it eliminated the complexities, obstacles and costs that often proved a barrier in the use of standard ophthalmoscopes by healthcare workers.

'The ophthalmoscope was invented 150 years ago and since then manufacturers have all followed a similar path,' Armour said.
'We think it's time to do something radically different.'

Ophthalmos chief executive officer, Laura Garcia, said: 'Recognising that 90 per cent of all blind people live in the poorest sections of the developing world, we have extended our focus beyond the healthcare setting of the developed countries.

'Our vision is to provide non-specialist healthcare workers with an ophthalmoscope that is affordable, simple to use, small and light-weight, and increased ownership will increase the frequency and proficiency of retinal exams.'

The winner of the Saatchi & Saatchi award will be announced in New York this month.

The Optyse instrument was the overall winner and winner of Best Innovation to Improve Global Healthcare at the Medical Futures Innovation Awards 2003. The company is part-funded by the Lottery initiative NESTA (the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts).