NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Thursday, April 28, 2016

A simple eye examining device that may offer a cheap way to improve medical care and training in developing countries has been successfully tested in Africa and Pacific island states.

The Arclight is a pocket-sized ophthalmoscope — a medical instrument used to see inside patients’ eyes — equipped with an LED to provide light, a magnifying lens and a rechargeable battery.

The device, which costs around US$8, can help health workers detect eye diseases such as trachoma and glaucoma, as well as foreign objects in the eye, say its developers at NGO the Fred Hollows Foundation in Australia.

It can also be used in training for eye doctors and clinicians in developing countries and is small enough to be carried in a pocket or clipped to a lanyard, according to Richard Le Mesurier, the foundation’s medical director.