Scanner screens for amblyopia

A simple seconds-long screening with a handheld scanning device may help identify amblyopia in children as young as two, according to ophthalmologists at Children's Hospital Boston.

Clinical testing of the Paediatric Vision Scanner (PVS) on 202 children was described in the July 7 issue of Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science. Children look at a blinking red light and a low-power laser scans their eyes to measure alignment, with five readings in 2.5 seconds.

Amblyopia was detected even in the absence of measurable strabismus and the scanner documented improved binocularity in these children after treatment.

The PVS is the result of 20 years of research funding and a lighter prototype is undergoing independent clinical testing.