Researchers in the United States are leading a study into an app that would allow patients to perform visual field testing for glaucoma at home.
The app, powered by artificial intelligence (AI), requires a smartphone, a low-cost virtual reality headset, and a handheld clicker.
Dr Ramesh S Ayyala and colleagues at the University of South Florida (USF) hope GlaucTest technology could transform glaucoma testing, which typically requires equipment costing tens of thousands of dollars, into an at-home experience costing under US$50.
After the patient performs the five-minute test per eye, results are securely uploaded for their ophthalmologist’s review.
Monitoring changes in vision associated with glaucoma requires constant vigilance, with regular appointments and testing that can be time-consuming, costly, and difficult for patients to maintain.
Currently in the research stage, Dr Ayyala’s goal is to replicate the gold-standard Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer found in clinics
“Patients have to come to us for regular testing, using expensive equipment in specialised clinics, and many simply don’t come often enough,” said Dr Ayyala, the James P. and Heather Gills Endowed Chair and Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology in the University of South Florida.
“We want to use technology to move to a place where physicians monitor patients remotely while they test themselves at home,” Dr Ayyala explained. “The goal is to give the power to the patient, the best way to manage chronic diseases like glaucoma.”
Currently in the research stage, Dr Ayyala’s goal is to replicate the gold-standard Humphrey Visual Field Analyzer found in clinics.
