Now test glaucoma at home with your smartphone

By TNT Bureau

Sep 13, 2016: We have seen smartphones work as electrocardiograms, so why not use them to test for glaucoma at home? That's the idea behind Cambridge Consultants' Viewi headset. Rather than hitting the hospital or optometrist's to monitor your vision, you could simply slide your phone into a head-mounted Gear VR-like holster. From there, a mobile app reproduces the flashing light patterns used to test for open-angle glaucoma. A Bluetooth remote acts as the input device for patients to press when they see a flashing light and, really, that's about it, according to the press release.

It should only take about five minutes per eye, and the results are supposedly straightforward and easy enough to understand. They're even shareable with your eye doctor. The idea here is to make it easier to monitor the progress of the disease and augment, rather than replace, traditional testing methods.

Chris Dainty, a professor at University College London Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Hospital, expressed interest in wider applications of Viewi, noting that it "could provide a valuable early warning system for people at risk of developing glaucoma, as well as patients who need to monitor the effects of the disease on their vision.

The folks at Cambridge Consultants also hope that it'll have a positive impact in developing countries where traditional medical procedures and facilities aren't readily available. At around $26.53, it could be the most cost effective method, too.

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