A new device has gone on sale in the US that will allow patients to track their vision changes using a smartphone.
EyeQue’s Personal Vision Tracker debuted recently at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and is a small optical scope based on the inverse Shack-Hartmann principle. It attaches to the screen of a smart phone (pictured left) and allows users to measure their spherical and astigmatism measurements in conjunction with tests in a specially designed app.
These tests produce what the company said was a set of cloud-based ‘eyeglass numbers’ that could be used to order glasses online. It added that these details could not be used in the US to buy glasses where a proof of prescription was needed.
A study carried by EyeQue on 49 participants was said to have shown a high level of accuracy. Using patients with refractive measurements ranging from -8D to +11D, 53% reported seeing more clearly and were able to read more letters on a standard eye chart using test lenses prescribed by the Personal Vision Tracker, compared to test lenses prescribed by an autorefractor.
‘We have taken another step into the future of fitness and healthcare by making the Personal Vision Tracker available to the public through online ordering and by delivering our first shipment of products to our early adopters,’ said John Serri, PhD, founder of EyeQue.
‘Advancements in optical, mobile, and cloud-based technologies have allowed us to miniaturise what has traditionally been room-sized, costly optical test equipment. The ability for people to take these tests, track vision changes over time, share the results with doctors, and order online glasses with the results – all from the comfort of their home and for about $30 – has an immediate and profound impact on the global population’s access to corrected vision.’