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DR screening device for primary care offices introduced
A device that would allow primary care physicians to screen for diabetic retinopathy with help from a reading center at the Wilmer Eye Institute has been introduced.
The EyeTel DigiScope takes digital photos of the patient’s retina through a dilated pupil and sends the images for interpretation and response within 48 hours, according to the device’s marketers.
The DigiScope is designed for use by primary care physicians to detect early-stage diabetic retinopathy, according to a company press release. The images are sent over the Internet to a reading center at the Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute at Johns Hopkins University. The photos are analyzed, and the primary-care physician is informed within 48 hours about the ocular status of the patient. In clinical trials, the DigiScope was found to be equivalent to seven-field fundus photography, according to EyeTel.
Eli Lilly and Co. has entered a strategic alliance with EyeTel to provide the company with support, Lilly announced in a press release.