Automation of the Anterior Segment: Reinventing the Slit Lamp

Abstract

The slit lamp is the central instrument for examining the anterior segment of the eye and has served as a standard tool in ophthalmic practice for more than seven decades. Despite advances in other areas of the specialty, this device has undergone very few significant improvements. Slit-lamp examination requires the ophthalmologist to be physically present with the patient and is, moreover, an ephemeral observation that is usually not digitally recorded. Although add-on cameras exist to document the exam, their use slows down consultations, often produces insufficient image quality, and cannot be delegated to a technician. These limitations perpetuate an essential yet inefficient process well into the 21st century.