Samsung is reusing old Galaxy model smartphones for medical use in countries like India.
South Korean tech giant Samsung believes that smartphones can improve access to quality healthcare and bring greater awareness and knowledge on eye health to remote areas of the country.
Samsung's simple solution is to replace older Galaxy smartphones with the iLike handheld fundus camera, which attaches to a lens attachment to provide a better fundus diagnosis. The device then uses an artificial intelligence (AI) system to process the images it receives and then sends them to an app that captures patient data and suggests the next course of action.
The Galaxy Upcycling Program not only gives new life to some of our old Galaxy smartphones by turning them into useful devices, but also using them as diagnostic cameras to screen patients for conditions such as diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration. can be done. Mohan Rao Goli, Corporate VP and CTO, Samsung Research Institute, Bengaluru (SRI-B), told indianexpress.com on the occasion of World Sight Day.
Instead of turning old smartphones into e-waste, Samsung is using those tools to help detect and diagnose eye disease.
This program was first introduced by Samsung in 2017 in South Korea. Since then, Samsung has expanded its Galaxy upcycling program to six countries, including India. The world's top smartphone maker has partnered with the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), Yonsei University Health System (YUHS) and LabSD in Korea for the Galaxy Upcycling Program.
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According to Goli, Samsung's partners provide the handheld lens while Samsung offers its older Galaxy smartphones with built-in software. Samsung's R&D Bengaluru has been involved in developing fundus image capture mechanisms and AI-based algorithms for the camera.
“You connect the lens attachment for advanced fundus diagnosis while the smartphone is used to capture images. The Galaxy device then uses AI algorithms and analyzes the images to diagnose eye diseases. The data captured by the phone is then synced with the mobile app, which informs if the patient needs any further treatment,” explained Goli.
In India, Samsung has partnered with Sitapur Eye Hospital in Uttar Pradesh, Arvind Eye Hospital in Puducherry, Guruhasti Chikitsalay in Jodhpur, Rajasthan and Dr Shroff Charity Eye Hospital in New Delhi. So far, the company has upcycled 200 units of second-hand Galaxy smartphones and distributed iLike Fundus cameras to its partners in India. Samsung aims to screen 150,000 individuals for eye diseases in India by the end of 2023 using Eyelike fundus cameras.
Converting old smartphones into medical diagnosis cameras is bridging the link between the last person and the healthcare provider,” said Dr Madhu Bhadauria, CMO, Sitapur Eye Hospital, explaining how a smartphone can help break down these barriers and create quality eye care. can provide access to care. Many more in rural parts of the country at a fraction of the cost. According to Bhadauria, the cost of traditional instruments that take fundus images starts from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 60 lakh.
Bhadauria said that early diagnosis and treatment reduces the risk of severe vision loss. Having fundus images from older smartphones means patients can be scanned extensively, as well as saving a lot of cost and time as only those people who need comprehensive care will be referred to the doctor .
"A picture taken on a Samsung phone goes to a senior optometrist who is in the specialty, a picture goes to the doctor and a picture goes to the AI. At different levels, these pictures are being classified and then The final analysis will be done on how effective the AI part is,” explained Bhadauria. He added that it requires a week of training for a non-technical person to understand how the smartphone-based fundus camera works.
“I would not say that the pictures are as good as can be obtained using traditional equipment taking fundus images, but the quality is good enough for a patient who is in a rural area and has access to quality eye care. This, at least, will ensure that patients are diagnosed on time and we can save them from blindness,” clarified Bhadauria.
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