In Australia, idMed has launched the ClearPath DS-120, a non-invasive screening tool for the early detection of people at high risk of having Type 2 Diabetes.
Daniel Walsh and Rob Gourlay from idMed said the ClearPath DS-120 looks at the lens of the eye, rather than the retina to detect diabetes, and instead of looking at the damage done to the retina and its blood vessels (as is the case in the study reported above), it detects the level of accumulation of Advanced Glycated End Products (AGE) in the lens of the eye.
“This approach allows the detection of individuals with a history of uncontrolled glucose (the hallmark of diabetes and pre-diabetes) up to seven years before complications such as retinopathy develop. Given that most of the complications of diabetes are irreversible, and considering the high cost and patient impact associated with those complications, there is clearly a major benefit in identifying people at risk of diabetes as early as possible,” said Mr. Walsh.
He said the Clearpath DS-120 will open up a “whole new treatment” area for optometrists. “Only 25 per cent of Type 2 diabetes patients will develop diabetic retinopathy. (The ClearPath) enables early detection of optometry rather than later detection and management of a complication.”
