Have you ever thought that having an eyer handheld fundus camera in your clinic can be a real advantage?

After all, having quicker access to your patients’ fundus images can assist in early diagnosis, treatment initiation and monitoring various diseases: glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

However, the equipment is expensive. There are models up to BRL 100,000 on the market. In addition to the other devices your business needs, the investment can burden your budget. Even more for professionals beginning their careers. Given that scenario, a new alternative is available: Eyer handheld fundus camera. Connected to a smartphone, the technology captures high-quality images of the fundus and sends them to an online platform. It allows reporting the exam and filing the patients’ history, among other features.

Another advantage is the price: the equipment is up to 4 times cheaper than the conventional handheld fundus camera.

The technology is national and developed by the startup Phelcom Technologies headquartered in the countryside of Sao Paulo.

Next, learn more about Phelcom Eyer handheld fundus camera, its advantages, how the Eyer Cloud platform works and how the device has been used in research projects and social actions.

Phelcom Eyer handheld fundus camera

Released in 2019, Phelcom Eyer is a handheld fundus camera that works coupled to a smartphone with a high-resolution camera. The device captures high-quality images of the fundus, in a few minutes and without the need for pupil dilation. After that, the data is automatically sent to the Eyer Cloud online platform. It allows reporting the exam and storing patients’ history with total data security.

Check out all the features of the Eyer:

High quality

Phelcom’s patented technology allows high quality exams to be performed on a portable device integrated with the smartphone.

Telemedicine

Carried out exams are automatically synchronized with the internet and made available in the cloud, enabling remote diagnosis.

Embedded artificial intelligence

Eyer has intelligent functions to assist medical diagnosis and capture retinal exams.

Connectivity

The device is naturally connected because it is integrated with the smartphone. It eases sharing and accessing exam data in the cloud through the Eyer Cloud system.

Non-mydriatic

Eyers carries out retinal examinations at any location without the need to use eye drops for pupil dilation. It is more comfortable to the patient and provides a faster exam.

Autofocus 

With the Autofocus function it is possible to compensate refractive errors in the range of -20D to + 20D. This allows retinal examinations with a high level of details.

Accessible

Eyer allows the democratization of access to retinal examination technology through innovative and more accessible business models.

Easy operation

Any minimally trained healthcare professional can use the equipment to perform high-quality retinal exams in less than 1 minute. It guarantees faster and more accurate diagnoses.

Panoramic

The Eyer generates panoramic exams with a more than 100 degree visual field. The device has internal fixation points that assist capturing and generating panoramics.

Portability

The portable device allows performing exams anywhere with remotely-issued diagnosis. This feature helps in the democratization of health, since 85% of Brazilian cities do not have access to specialists and devices that diagnose eye diseases.

Low cost

Portability and small size allow Eyer to have a much lower cost compared to traditional fundus cameras. Even with cutting-edge technologies applied to the device production.

Recently Phelcom also released a slit lamp holder to allow Eyer attachment to a tabletop. This way, it provides the experience of a tabletop retinograph by easing image capture without movement.

In addition, it helps to maintain social distance in care, since the professional does not need to touch the patient’s forehead as occurs in the traditional exam.

Eyer handheld fundus camera – advantages

Eyer offers state-of-the-art technology which makes the device one of the most modern portable fundus cameras for the prevention and diagnosis of vision-related diseases.

Learn about the advantages of the equipment below:

• High-quality eye exam through a smartphone;
• Accurate and quick diagnosis;
• Lower cost compared to traditional retinographs;
• Exams are possible in several locations due to portability;
• Democratization of retinal exams, especially in places with low infrastructure of quality services in the area, such as doctors, health professionals, equipment, medicines etc;
• Faster service through computerized systems integrated to an online platform with access via computers, smartphones and tablets;
• Tests are easy to carry out in clinics and health centers;
• Diagnosis made by specialists and reference professionals located anywhere in the world;
• Reduction of attendance time and operational costs;
• Decrease in the displacement of patients to hospitals and large urban centers;
• Improvement in the quality of the reports issued;
• Increase in prevention and early diagnosis of diseases such as diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, cataract, macular degeneration, retinoblastoma, retinal detachment, premature retinopathy and blindness, inter alia.

Eyer handheld fundus camera – Eyer Cloud

Eyer Cloud  is an online platform integrated with the Phelcom Eyer handheld fundus camera that allows you to store and manage patient exams. All data captured by the equipment is automatically synchronized with the system, allowing them to upload to the cloud with complete security.

Any health professional – without necessarily being a specialist – can carry out the exam in the field after a brief training. With the information available on the web, a doctor from anywhere in the world can diagnose.

In addition to ensuring data backup on a secure server, the user has all data organized in a friendly, functional and intuitive interface. Moreover, the platform can be accessed on the device itself or in a smartphone, tablet and computer.

If there is no internet access at the time of the exam the images are saved on the device and are sent to the cloud as soon as a connection is available.

Eyer handheld fundus camera – social actions

Currently there are several social actions that use the device to bring more health to the whole country.

This is the case of the project “Unidos pelo Diabetes em Ação”, in Itabuna (BA)  . The event gave rise to the collective task force “Unidos pelo Diabetes”  that needed to be cancelled due to the pandemic. On the whole, 400 patients participated in the first phase. 100 of these had more severe diabetic retinopathy or macular edema.

The project used advanced technologies to ensure screening without agglomerations. Eyer was the main screening tool. “Phelcom was fundamental to the success of the project as it made the devices available, provided prior training, helped in the strategy of assembling reports using its Eyer Cloud program and made its team of engineers available for support during the action”, says Andrade. “In addition, in an innovative way in Brazil, it created an artificial intelligence algorithm to help sorting patients who would probably be serious and those without changes, easing the logistics through distance-reporting”, adds Andrade.

Expeditions

The expedition carried out by Barco Hospital São Francisco, in the region of the municipality of Terra Branca (PA),at the end of last year, also featured the Eyer. Ophthalmologist Mariana Lafetá, one of the volunteers on this trip, says that the equipment helped in the diagnosis of diseases such as cataracts, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, inter alia.

“It is easy to carry out the exams, take the photos, find them in the files and store them later. We can also send or print the images, which I think is very interesting, in addition to the easy access from anywhere with the internet connection ”, she analyzes. Ophthalmologist Fernando Korn Malerbi also used the Eyer on an expedition to three indigenous communities in the state of Mato Grosso earlier this year. The doctor evaluated 193 Indians. Diabetic retinopathy and cataracts figure among the main diseases found.

“The experience with the equipment was very good, mainly due to portability and ease of use”, he evaluates. He recalls that he has been involved in other projects with the Eyer handheld fundus camera for the diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy. “I believe that the Eyer is very relevant for this type of action, representing an important alternative for tracking populations that live in remote areas”, he concludes.

Do you want to know more about how technology helps with eye exams? Follow the Phelcom’s blog.