St Andrews students develop low-cost ophthalmoscope

A pocket-sized device designed to ‘save the sight of millions of people around the world’ has been launched by a team led from the University of St Andrews.

Named Arclight, the low-cost, solar-powered ophthalmoscope was aimed at helping health workers in low-income countries detect signs of blindness, a university statement revealed this week.

It could also be used as an otoscope to look into the ears and help prevent deafness, researchers said.

A study led from the International Centre for Eye Health in London showed that it performed as well as traditional devices costing up to 100 times as much, the statement added. Using the Arclight, an examiner can see the front and back of the eye, to help reveal conditions such as trachoma, cataract, glaucoma and diabetes.