A recent report in the scientific journal Investigación y Desarrollo describes a new software that works in a completely different way for smartphones and turns them into diagnostic tools.
The software, developed by specialists in Medicine and Surgery at the Retina Medical Center Department, in collaboration with the Monterey Institute of Technology and Higher Education's Department of Science, is designed to detect the early signs of eye disease.
This is achieved by using the camera to look for abnormalities in the patient's retinal anatomy. The abnormalities are then diagnosed by a trained physician.
For example, changes in retinal thickness are an indicator of diabetic macular edema, an eye condition linked to diabetes characterized by swelling of the retina as a result of leaking blood vessels, experts explain.
The sooner this eye disease and others like it are diagnosed, the easier it is for medical experts to treat their symptoms and prevent patients from going blind.
The software is intended for use by doctors and has been tested in a series of laboratory experiments. The software will soon be officially released. Once that happens, it will be integrated into Mexico's basic health system.
Source: sciencedaily.com, thegreeksenergy.com
