Smartphone device could revolutionize ophthalmology teaching

News

Excerpted from a story appearing in the Aug. 8, 2017 issue of UNMC Today.

by Tom O’Connor, UNMC

Liana Morales, a student in the UNMC Summer Undergraduate Research Program, does an eye exam using the smartphone camera attachment on Barrett Kumke, while pediatric ophthalmologist Donny Suh, M.D., oversees the procedure.

Liana Morales, a student in the UNMC Summer Undergraduate Research Program, does an eye exam using the smartphone camera attachment on Barrett Kumke, while pediatric ophthalmologist Donny Suh, M.D., oversees the procedure. (UNMC Photo)

The small, two-inch camera attachment clips on the top of the phone and allows health professionals to examine a key area of the interior surface of the eye called the fundus. The fundus includes the central retina, optic disc, macula, fovea and the posterior pole.

The device can detect a variety of eye problems such as underdevelopment of the optic nerves, swelling of the optic disc, and nystagmus, a condition in which the eyes make repetitive, uncontrolled movements.

Omaha pediatric ophthalmologist, Donny Suh, M.D., has been involved in a research study published in the July edition of the Open Journal of Ophthalmology. The study looked at one of the three similar devices that are in the marketplace.

Dr. Suh has also developed several new innovations for pediatric ophthalmology, including a precision syringe that allows the operator to perform delicate procedures with one hand, and MedLens, a novel device that turns most smartphones into a powerful diagnostic tool.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE: https://www.unmc.edu/news.cfm?match=20739

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