Texas A&M University graduates Dr. Nick Panzo and Dr. Hamza Memon are developing portable eye exam equipment designed to reduce barriers to healthcare in rural areas. The device, roughly the size of a virtual reality headset, reimagines the traditional slit lamp, a standard diagnostic tool used to detect conditions such as cataracts, corneal abrasions, and glaucoma.
According to the developers, approximately 75% of American adults require vision correction, yet access to eye care remains uneven, particularly in rural communities. Traditional slit lamps require patients to rest their chin and forehead against a stationary machine, a positioning that can be difficult or impossible for individuals with mobility limitations.
The new headset-style device is designed to be portable and adjustable, allowing ophthalmologists to examine eyes without the constraints of fixed clinic equipment.
Panzo and Memon, graduates of the Engineering Medicine program at the Naresh K. Vashisht College of Medicine, inherited the project from previous student Dr. Zachary Richards. They expanded its focus to address limited access to care in rural areas, where eye doctors are often concentrated in cities or face long appointment delays.
The device supports telehealth consultations by allowing ophthalmologists to connect wirelessly and evaluate patients remotely. Panzo stated that the goggle-based headset would allow providers to remotely triage and assist patients who are not physically able to see a specialist.
The team also plans to incorporate imaging capabilities that enable clinicians to capture and store high-quality images during examinations. Memon noted that current slit lamp findings are often recorded without stored images, whereas this device could track the progression of patient pathology.
