Chief Supervisor

Dr DO Chi-wai

Project Title

Smartphone photorefraction as a novel tool in vision screenings

Synopsis

The prevalence of uncorrected refractive errors, particularly myopia, has been increasing and poses significant challenges for both developing and developed countries. The productivity loss associated with uncorrected myopia is substantial on a global scale. Uncorrected refractive errors are one of the leading causes of preventable blindness, highlighting the urgent need for simple, ideally self-monitoring technologies to detect these errors and alert parents or caregivers about the necessity of eye examinations.
Eccentric photorefraction has demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity, making it a feasible methodology for vision screening. We have recently validated a smartphone-based photorefraction system for identifying refractive errors, especially myopia. The ubiquity of smartphones today presents a great opportunity to address undetected refractive errors in the community. 
This project aims to further investigate the accuracy and practicality of smartphone photorefraction in detecting various refractive risk factors and potentially monitoring changes in refractive errors. Our goal is to enhance the delivery of vision care services to remote areas around the world.