Abstract
Purpose :
The use of mobile devices for ophthalmic image capture has become more prevalent with the advent of mobile imaging adapters. However, these imaging adapters vary in quality and usability, and require the use of secure software for HIPAA-compliance. This study assesses the usability of slit lamp adapters in conjunction with mobile smart phones to efficiently capture quality anterior segment images.
Methods :
Two slit lamp adapters; Universal Eyepiece adapter (New Vision Meditec Co., Limited) and HookUpz Universal Optics Adapter (Carson), were evaluated in conjunction with the iPhone 6 (Apple) on categories including ‘cost of equipment’, ‘fit of adapter’, ‘alignment’, ‘view’, ‘image quality’, ‘time to secure adapter on phone’, ‘time to secure adapter on slit lamp’, and ‘ability for single user to capture images’ in order to assess usabilIty of this tool to capture anterior segment images. Images were taken on Paxos Scope mobile app and instantly sent to a cloud based server so that images could be assessed later on a computer.
Results :
Both slit lamp adapters in conjunction with a mobile device were able to capture clear, infocus anterior segment images and took less than two minutes to attach to the slit lamp eyepiece. The Universal Eyepiece adapter was found to have better alignment, a more secure fit, and was easier to use with just one operator.
Conclusions :
Both adapters used in conjunction with a mobile device were able to capture clear, focused images, with the Universal Eyepiece adapter having the greatest ease of use. Due to the ease of use and the wide availability of mobile devices, along with the slit lamp’s inability to capture and store images on its own, there is potential for this combination of devices to aid in monitoring anterior segment disease by enabling photo-documentation of pathology in a way that wasn’t previously possible. Mobile devices also feature communication tools that can be used to share captured images and enable real-time consultations, a use case which warrants further exploration.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2017 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Baltimore, MD, May 7-11, 2017.