Decreasing vision loss rates with modular digital vision screening platform

Retina Technologies Inc. (RetTech) is advancing the development of its OcuVue platform, a modular vision screening solution with integrated machine learning.

According to the company, studies show that 180,000 new cases of previously undiagnosed vision loss and blindness are discovered each year in the United States and more than 80 percent of these people would still have their vision with early detection and currently available treatments.

The company said its goal is to bring general practitioners and vision specialists closer together with a fully integrated digital vision screening platform.

RetTech was founded by a team of medical students from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, New York, who encountered many patients with undiagnosed vision loss and blindness while volunteering in clinics in underserved communities.

The company worked closely with New York Eye and Ear Infirmary (NYEE), a part of the Mount Sinai Health System, in the development of OcuVue to assist health care providers with early detection and provide guided referrals.

According to the company, the device is lightweight and portable and can be used remotely or can be fully integrated into any physician's workflow.

Moreover, the company noted in its news release that the device potentially could improve the quality of primary care vision testing, and with early detection, gives vision specialists a much better chance of successfully treating eye disease and preventing vision loss.

"We are in the middle of a revolution in digital healthcare where digital and medical technologies are rapidly merging in an effort to deliver improved outcomes for more patients," James Tsai, MD, president of NYEE and chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at Mount Sinai, said in the news release. "I think the ability to get regular vision screening for early detection would be a big win-win for both doctors and patients."

The company noted in its news release that the device enables patients to get fast, comprehensive vision screening exams and retinal images in 15 minutes, eliminating the need to move between multiple machines and testing rooms, and can provide physicians interpretations and referrals in seconds.

"We are very excited to be working with Retina Technologies to advance the development of OcuVue, and the potential to expand vision diagnostics to new markets," Tsai said in the release.

Currently, RetTech noted in the release that it is working to deliver the virtual reality (VR) module for visual function examinations and the retinal imaging module for early detection of retinal abnormalities. The company has worked with leading ophthalmologists and oculoplastic surgeons to successfully complete two clinical trials for six accelerated VR functional vision tests that are essential to comprehensive in-office examinations. The validation of these vision tests emphasizes the potential the device has in allowing faster more rigorous testing to be performed in time-sensitive settings such as primary care.

Randy Serafini, CEO of RetTech, said in the news release that for the company successfully develop, deploy, and support these types of devices requires hybrid organizations with both deep medical expertise and experience in complex digital technologies and IT integration.

“Our team has over 60 years in delivering leading edge technology solutions, and with our relationship with Mount Sinai, we have tremendous depth and breadth in ophthalmic expertise and experience,” he said.

In an effort to ensure deployment within generalist facilities and broader physician workflows, and build reimbursement strategies for the device, Serafini noted that the company brought Sumeet Murarka, MBA, into the fold as the company’s chief technology officer.

“He has decades of experience integrating leading edge technologies into physician workflows through his time as CIO and CTO at the largest private physician group in New York,” he concluded.