Neocam explained..

Cataracts are opacities in the lens of the eye, but they don't only form in older people; babies are sometimes born with them and the result, if left untreated, can be permanent blindness.

All newborns are screened soon after birth to detect these and other abnormalities. A light is shone into the eye to observe the red reflection from the retina at the back of the eye, which will be obscured if a cataract is present.

In the UK, the test is usually carried out by midwives and GPs but the result can sometimes be difficult to interpret.

Neocam uses infra-red light in a device which is simple to use and also detects a rare but curable type of cancer. It has the potential to help save sight, not just in the UK but all over the world. Watch the video to find out more.

Louise is leading a large multicentre trial of Neocam in the NHS - the DIvO study (Digital Imaging versus Ophthalmoscopy).
The study is comparing Neocam with the usual method used to check for neonatal cataract. As the condition is relatively rare, about 140,000 newborns will need to be screened over a period of 2-3 years.

To find out more, visit the DIvO website.

KidzEyez explained..

Assessment of the visual field - the area over which the eye can detect objects away from the central point of interest - is an essential part of eye examination.

Current techniques used to test for visual field loss are not easy to use in young children and other patients who may find it difficult to understand and to concentrate. Together with Dr Adar Pelah, an electrical engineer at the Universty of York, and his team, I have been able to develop an idea for a simple and effective new method for visual field assessment in these patients.

The KidzEyez system uses a video camera to observe eye movements while the child sits on their carer’s lap and watches a video on a large screen. As interesting visual targets are presented at different locations on the screen, the child will look towards them, provided the visual system is undamaged. Trials have been very encouraging and the invention, which is supported by Cambridge Enterprise, will have a worldwide market.

More than half of children with brain tumours present with visual impairment because the tumour is affecting the optic pathway in the brain. Accurate measurement of peripheral vision may allow earlier diagnosis, lead to more successful treatment of these tumours, and prevent further visual loss.

Neocam - a simple screening device to save newborn sight

ITV Anglia News February 2019

KidzEyez

First UK telemedicine pilot for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP)

From the Cambridge Evening News Monday, April 11 2016 ..

Addenbrooke’s has recently rolled out a new regional service to improve sight screening for premature babies, thanks to support from Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust (ACT).

A growing number of premature babies are at risk of developing the serious eye condition Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) that affects around 70% of very early, low birth weight babies. In the most severe cases it can cause blindness. With prompt detection laser surgery can help improve the condition; however until now for babies across the region that involved sending them over long distances to Addenbrooke’s for examination. Now, with £54,000 funding from ACT, seven digital ophthalmoscopes have been provided to hospitals throughout the Eastern region to transform the way premature babies are screened by introducing telemedicine.

Louise Allen, Consultant Paediatric Ophthalmologist at Addenbrooke’s is leading the service. She said “Addenbrooke‘s is the established treatment centre for ROP in the Eastern region neonatal network. That used to mean that any at-risk babies in the East of England were immediately transferred long distances to Addenbrooke’s so I could examine them in person. This could be incredibly traumatic and disruptive for a newborn baby and its parents, and it created a significant knock-on effect in the ward, requiring other babies to be moved around to free up space. If the baby didn’t meet the time-critical criteria, they got sent back, possibly to be sent again at a later date. It made sense to adopt a new approach."

"The joy of telemedicine is that you can send a high-quality digital image remotely and you can get an immediate second opinion without having to send the baby. This means that we can eliminate unnecessary transfers and keep the neonatal intensive care cots here free for babies in need.”

Stephen Davies, ACT’s chief executive said: “ACT was delighted to fund this project so that patients from neighbouring hospitals can benefit from the expertise that Addenbrooke’s has to offer.”