​NTU Singapore and SERI invent new scope to diagnose glaucoma

Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore) and Singapore Eye Research Institute (SERI) have invented a new 'pen camera' that makes it easier for doctors to diagnose patients with glaucoma.

The 'pen camera', called the GonioPEN, could help tackle the eye disease with its ability to detect the type of glaucoma in a faster and cheaper manner. It causes negligible discomfort, unlike the current gonioscopes, which are glass scopes that must be pressed against the eyeball of the patient for doctors to look at the eye's drainage canal to diagnose the cause.

Innovative devices such as the GonioPEN, developed on campus, are aligned with NTU's Smart Campus vision of harnessing the power of digital technology and tech-enabled solutions to support better learning and living experiences, the discovery of new knowledge, and the sustainability of resources.

With the GonioPEN, a digital camera image of a higher resolution can now be stored for future reference and retrieved easily. A technician could perform the gonioscopy before a specialist reviews the images to give an in-depth diagnosis or a second opinion. Doctors can also better track the changes in their patients' condition over time.

Assoc Prof Murukeshan (NTU's School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and head of the research team) said, "With the GonioPEN, a digital camera image of a higher resolution can now be stored for future reference and retrieved easily. A technician could perform the gonioscopy before a specialist reviews the images to give an in-depth diagnosis or a second opinion. Doctors can also better track the changes in their patients' condition over time.

"The GonioPEN's ease of use means it can be used by primary, secondary or private eye care physicians, while its compact size makes it portable for all healthcare set-ups. The cost is also kept low because a microscope is no longer required."

 

Click article links below to find out more.

The Straits Times:
http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/health/ntus-goniopen-makes-diagnosing-glaucoma-a-snap