DigitalOptometrics (DO) is kicking off a new collaboration with Eyoto to introduce automated, repeatable slit lamp examinations as part of its tele-ophthalmic care ecosystem.
The partnership is debuting during Vision Expo in Orlando, Florida, this week.
Let’s begin with these players.
We’ll start with DigitalOptometrics.
As a New York-based telehealth software company, DO offers fully-integrated and scaled services to the vision market for patients and eyecare professionals (ECPs) via tele-optometric and -ophthalmic technologies.
More specifically: Its remote eye exam platform simulates an in-person visit in under 30 minutes, using an on-site ophthalmic technician, artificial intelligence (AI)-based refraction, remote-operated equipment, high-definition (HD) video conferencing, and proprietary software for optometry practices and retail optical stores.
- The exam includes 10 health and vision tests conducted with the support of a remote licensed optometrist who collects and analyzes patient data.
And in (relatively) recent news: At last year’s Vision Expo, DO debuted SlitLED, the first-ever advanced autonomous slit lamp.
Where does DO offer these exams?
All across the country—see here for the list of locations.
Next up: Eyoto.
Operating out of the United Kingdom—and originating in 2013 as a spinout from Aston University’s School of Optometry—Eyoto is a medical technology (medtech) company developing advanced ophthalmic imaging and digital diagnostic technologies for eyecare delivery.
Its flagship platform is Aetheia, referred to as a “revolution in eye examination technology” and designed as an automated 4K digital slit lamp with (according to Eyoto) two key claims to fame:
- The world’s only fully remote digital slit lamp
- The world’s only fully automated digital slit lamp
Tell me more about this.
Aetheia combines AI-based automation with local and fully remote control for clinicians to review comprehensive eye exams from any remote location (or via a technician-led exam)—all via two modes:
- Aetheia:Auto → Delivers fully automated or guided slit lamp exams
- Aetheia:Remote → Gives clinicians remote, real-time control of eye exams
And as a bonus: Aetheia:DualView offers a side-by-side eye comparison.
Go on …
With 4K HD live-streamed video and imaging and intuitive controls, the technology enables assisted clinical examinations powered by a proprietary Auto-Optometry capability.
What this is: An AI-based technology platform that, essentially, introduces the “automation” component of Aetheia to the slit lamp exam process.
- See here for a closer look at how the tech is designed to guide exams, standardize exam protocols to ensure consistency, and lower the training burden for clinic staff.
Can I get a visual of how the process works?
Certainly. Check out this video of the Aetheia:Remote and Aetheia:Auto—featuring the Auto-Optometry technology—in action during an exam sequence.
- Click here for the video recording during a technician-guided exam.
- And see this real-world example of the fully automated exam.
Impressive! So, how does Aetheia fit into DO’s exam process?
For that insight, we’ll refer to Alex Louw, DO’s chief operating officer. He spoke with Glance President Jaclyn Garlich, OD, FAAO.
And what’s the goal for the integration?
The companies noted an intent for clinics to utilize DO’s Aetheia-integrated exam to “perform reliable, standardized slit lamp exams under remote physician oversight”—“without adding complexity or increasing staff training burdens.”
As DO President Howard S. Fried, OD, stated: “This next evolution is not about introducing another piece of equipment. It’s about continuing to strengthen the reliability, repeatability, and trust clinicians place in remote exams.”
So is this an exclusive partnership?
Not quite … in fact, Louw noted that while Aetheia is the first technology of its kind to be integrated in DO’s exams, it won’t be the last.
He noted that the company intends to integrate with other companies’ technologies “in the future.”
But for now, Eyoto CEO Simon Collingridge emphasized that the partnership is about “enabling better care through consistency and automation, all within workflows clinicians already trust.”
- The result: “More complete remote care model … that supports ophthalmologists and optometrists with dependable data, optimized workflows, and the confidence that each exam meets a consistent clinical standard,” according to DO.
Now, how can I learn more about the specifics of this?
If you’re attending this week’s Vision Expo meeting in Orlando, Florida, stop by the DO booth (#3021) on the show floor of the Exhibit Hall.
Otherwise: Contact the company directly for any questions about adding Aetheia to a DO-affiliated clinic—or about becoming a DO-affiliated clinic.