More than 2 million people around the world have lost their sight from diabetic retinopathy – a figure that is expected to double by the year 2030 – and according to the World Health Organization, early treatment can reduce the chance of vision loss by more than 90 percent. The inSight team has developed a solution called ‘PRISM,’ Incorporated into a comfortable pair of sunglasses, it can quickly photograph the retina to detect retinopathy without the need for a trained professional. Trading mobile computation for advanced optics, they have reduced the cost of a retinal imaging system (like a fundus camera) from $50K-$200K to just under $50.
Photo: Greg Kuperman and ying song