A man undergoing eye screening using Folding Phoropter
It does not always require a lot of money to change lives of others. Sometimes, all it takes is about Rs 30. It is all about smart innovation.
Take for example Ashish Jain, an industrial designer with Srujana Center for Innovation at L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad. Jain along with the institute's team of optometrists, vision scientists and engineers have designed a unique paper device which can detect refractive error, one of the most common causes of blindness.
The device is called Folding Phoropter.
The palm size device has two paper tubes -- one slides into the other. There are two lenses attached on either side of the tube and on the sides is a scale where refractive error can be measured.
So, how does it work? A person reads a chart using Phoropter. He has to slide the inner tube outwards till the time he can see the figures on the chart clearly. The extend of the slide gives a measure of refractive error the person is suffering from. "It is not a substitute for a detailed eye check up, but it can tell people if they need spectacles," says Jain.
Ashish Jain (third from behind, in grey shirt) and team at Srujana Center for Innovation, Hyderabad
The device has the potential to change millions of lives. There are around 2.3 billion people suffering from refractive errors worldwide, 90 per cent of them reside in rural areas and low-income countries. Most of these people don't have access to a skilled eye-specialist.
The device has the potential to change millions of lives. There are around 2.3 billion people suffering from refractive errors worldwide, 90 per cent of them reside in rural areas and low-income countries
According to World Health Organisation, in 2010, 153 million people became visually impaired due to uncorrected refractive error. "Refractive error is easily correctable. People in urban areas have access to medical care but in remote and rural areas, it is still a big problem. Besides, in schools teachers still use simple reading charts to screen vision of students. With Phoropter, they will be able to screen them more effectively," says Jain.
The device is currently being used by some schools and doctors at L V Prasad eye hospital for screening vision problems. "It has a limitation, it is yet not very accurate in providing the extent of refractive error. Our team is constantly working to improve it so that people can get their spectacles made on the basis of its reading. I hope we will be able to achieve it soon," says Jain.
Phoropter , a truly unique, user- friendly and cost-effective device, won its innovators second position and 50,000 dollars at Clearly Vision award instituted to promote innovations and start ups that can help people suffering from poor vision. "We will use the money to improve the device so that it help millions of people to easily detect eye problems and seek timely cure", says Jain.