Abstract
Background: Visual impairments and age-related eye diseases need to be detected and treated in a timely manner. However, this is often hampered by lack of appropriate medical equipment. We have invented a portable, recordable, and smartphone-attachable slit-lamp device, called the Smart Eye Camera (SEC). The aim of this study was to compare evaluating nuclear cataract (NUC) between the SEC and the conventional, non-portable slit-lamp microscope. Methods: A total of 128 eyes of 64 Japanese patients (mean age: 73.95 ± 9.28 years; range: 51‒92 years; female: 34) were enrolled. The NUC was classified into four grades (grade 0 to 3) based on three standard photographs of nuclear opacities according to the WHO classification by ophthalmologists. An ophthalmic healthcare assistant (non-ophthalmologist) filmed the eyes in video mode by the SEC and an ophthalmologist graded the NUC. Grade correlation and inter-rater reproducibility were determined. Results: NUC grading by the two approaches correlated significantly (both eyes: r = 0.871 [95%CI: 0.821 to 0.907; p < 0.001]). Inter-rater agreement was high (weighted κ = 0.807 [95%CI: 0.798 to 0.816; p < 0.001]). Conclusions: This study suggests that the SEC is as reliable as the conventional non-portable slit-lamp microscope for evaluating NUC.
Highlights
A slit-lamp microscope is an essential medical instrument in the field of ophthalmology [1].This device irradiates the anterior segment of the eyes with a slit-light, and the reflection thereof is observed with its biomicroscope function [2]
This study suggests that the Smart Eye Camera” (SEC) is as reliable as the conventional non-portable slit-lamp microscope for evaluating nuclear cataract (NUC)
The mean severity of the NUC grading of the cataract was 1.84 ± 0.82 based on the evaluation by conventional slit-lamp microscope and 1.92 ± 0.82 by the SEC (p = 0.47, Table 1)
Summary
A slit-lamp microscope is an essential medical instrument in the field of ophthalmology [1]. This device irradiates the anterior segment of the eyes with a slit-light, and the reflection thereof is observed with its biomicroscope function [2]. Most conventional slit-lamp microscopes are not portable, and patients have to visit the ophthalmologist for these examinations. There are some portable slit-lamp microscopes, these devices are not recordable. Visual impairments and age-related eye diseases need to be detected and treated in a timely manner This is often hampered by lack of appropriate medical equipment. The aim of this study was to compare evaluating nuclear cataract (NUC) between the SEC and the conventional, non-portable slit-lamp microscope.
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