Portable eye exam equipment aims to reduce barriers in rural health care

Around 75% of American adults require vision correction, yet access to eye care remains unequal, especially in rural areas and for those with mobility limitations. To address these disparities, Dr. Nick Panzo and Dr. Hamza Memon, graduates of Texas A&M University School of Engineering Medicine, are creating portable eye exam equipment roughly the size of a virtual reality headset.

This device aims to broaden access to comprehensive eye examinations by bringing a crucial ophthalmology tool out of clinics and into diverse healthcare environments.

The slit lamp, a standard diagnostic instrument used during eye exams to identify conditions like cataracts, corneal abrasions, and glaucoma, typically requires patients to rest their chin and forehead against a stationary machine while an ophthalmologist examines their eye using a narrow beam of light. The device's size and fixed design can render examinations challenging or impossible for patients incapable of comfortably positioning themselves at the machine.

Panzo and Memon, who inherited the slit lamp headset project from former Texas A&M Engineering Medicine student Dr. Zachary Richards, have expanded its scope to tackle limited access to eye care in rural communities.

Eye doctors are mostly located in urban areas, and when they are in rural settings, they can be extremely busy or face lengthy delays for patients to schedule appointments. Furthermore, specialized subspecialties become even more challenging. The portable slit lamp headset would enable ophthalmologists to connect wirelessly to the device, facilitating telehealth consultations and allowing specialists to evaluate patients remotely.

Panzo notes that the project stems from the growing availability of eye exams to the public, stating, "Our goggle-based headset would allow providers to remotely triage and assist patients who are unable to physically see a specialist." Beyond enhancing access to care, Memon adds that the team plans to incorporate imaging capabilities that would enable clinicians to capture and store high-quality images during examinations.

The primary target is rural medicine, but the project could also find utility in other contexts. Currently, ophthalmologists observe through the slit lamp's scope and document their findings, but these images are not preserved. The team's product could be employed for monitoring the progression of patients' pathology by taking photos and tracking changes over time.

These imaging capabilities could also benefit medical education by enabling clinicians to share detailed images of intricate cases, thereby fostering collaboration with specialists and facilitating remote input on complex patient scenarios. Dr. Hilary Beaver and Dr. Andrew Lee served as mentors and key clinical collaborators throughout the project, along with other Texas A&M University EnMed collaborators, including Dr. Rijul Nanda and Rohan Gupta.