Optomed's new handheld AI fundus camera, Aurora AEye. Photo: Optomed. Click image to enlarge.

Artificial intelligence has emerged as a promising solution to increase the accessibility of diabetic retinopathy screening. Though a few AI-powered products are already on the market, a new one has just emerged: Earlier this week, the FDA approved the first handheld AI fundus camera, called Aurora AEye. The device can provide instant DR detection with a single image of each eye and, thanks to its automation and portability, enables screening in primary care settings, notes the product’s developer, Optomed, in its press release.

In clinical trials, the non-mydriatic handheld camera exhibited diagnostic sensitivity between 92% and 93% and specificity between 89% and 94%, and in both studies, over 99% of patients received a diagnostic result, the company reports. The system is designed to detect small, early-phase retinal changes with a 50-degree field of view, Optomed says. Additionally, the camera uses autofocus and auto-exposure functions and allows digital images to be easily sent to eyecare providers.

The screening results displayed on the system are colored either red or green, with red indicating the need to refer the patient to an eyecare specialist and green suggesting the patient can be seen again in 12 months. 

For more information, go to www.optomed.com/us.