Development of 3D Printed Smartphone-Based Multi-Purpose Fundus Camera (MultiScope) for Retinopathy of Prematurity

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Medical Imaging
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) is a leading cause of vision impairment in premature infants.
• Current Wide-Field Digital Retinal Imaging (WFDRI) systems are effective but expensive and inaccessible for many.
• Modern smartphones offer potential for developing low-cost retinal imaging devices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a handheld, 3D-printed, smartphone-based fundus camera for ROP screening.
• To assess the feasibility and image quality of the developed camera compared to commercial systems like RetCam.
• To provide an affordable telemedicine tool for ROP detection in resource-limited settings.

Main Methods:

• Design and fabrication of a 3D-printed smartphone adapter for fundus imaging.
• Utilizing smartphone camera and illumination for image acquisition.
• Comparative analysis of images from the developed device and a commercial RetCam system.

Main Results:

• Successful development of a functional 3D-printed smartphone fundus camera.
• Demonstration of the device's capability for capturing digital retinal images.
• Feasibility established for using the device as an alternative to WFDRI for ROP screening.

Conclusions:

• The 3D-printed smartphone fundus camera is a viable, cost-effective alternative for ROP screening.
• This technology can significantly enhance ROP care accessibility in low-resource communities.
• Smartphone-based retinal imaging holds promise for expanding ophthalmic telemedicine capabilities.