Extending the reach of anterior segment ophthalmic imaging

Eye exams via a slit lamp are critical in screening for conditions such as cataracts, corneal opacities and pterygia early on to avert vision loss. The slit lamp, however, is a purely qualitative optical device that is bulky, expensive, can cause eye discomfort due to light sensitivity. It also requires a trained physician to operate, making it unsuitable for large-scale screening in resource-constrained settings. In this thesis, we propose a spectrum of portable anterior segment imaging solutions that can be operated by minimally trained health workers. On one end, we present a smartphone attachment with minimal optics and no electronic components beyond what is present in the smartphone itself to examine and image the anterior segment of the eye. This cost-effective, easily scalable solution would help extend the reach of anterior segment examination to extremely resource constrained settings, such as mass-screening camps, mobile ophthalmology clinics, war zones etc. On the other end, we propose purely solid-state instrumentation that employs programmable illumination and light steering optics to simulate the motion of a slit on the eye, thereby exhibiting functionality similar to that of a slit lamp with no moving parts. Finally, we discuss potential deployment strategies for two implementations of this technology in the specific cases of two contrasting healthcare systems in India.

Department dc:contributor.department

Program in Media Arts and Sciences (Massachusetts Institute of Technology)

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2016

Author dc:creator

• Sinha, Shantanu (Shantanu Sanjay)

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Ramesh Raskar.

• Program in Media Arts and Sciences ()

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/106046

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/106046