Samsung’s reasonable outcome is to restore older Galaxy smartphones to carry out the eyelike handheld fundus camera.
South Korean tech giant Samsung understands a smartphone can enhance access to excellent healthcare and bring more understanding and enhance knowledge on eye health in far-flung districts of the country.
“The Galaxy upcycling programme not only gives a new life to some of our older Galaxy smartphones by repurposing them into useful devices but they can also be used as diagnoses cameras to screen patients for conditions like diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration,” Mohan Rao Goli, Corporate VP and CTO, Samsung Research Institute, Bengaluru
“You connect the lens attachment for enhanced fundus diagnosis while the smartphone is used for capturing the images. The Galaxy device then utilises AI algorithms and analyses the images to diagnose ophthalmic diseases. The data captured by the phone then sync with the mobile app, which suggests if the patient needs any further treatment,” clarified Goli.
The programme was inaugurated by Samsung in South Korea in 2017. Since then, Samsung has expanded its Galaxy Upcycling programme to six countries, comprising India. The world’s prime smartphone maker has partnered with the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), Yonsei University Health System (YUHS) in Korea and LabSD for the Galaxy Upcycling programme.
Early diagnosis and treatment reduce the risk of serious vision. Having fundus images out of old smartphones means clients can be searched at scale while also saving a lot of cost and time as only those people who require extensive care will be referred to a doctor.
