A New Compact Optical System Proposal and Image Quality Comparison Against Other Affordable Non-mydriatic Fundus Cameras

Imaging the eye retina is critical to diagnose various pathologies, particularly Diabetic Retinopathy, which is the leading cause of avoidable blindness in the world. The image acquisition through tabletop fundus cameras is the preferred method for retinopathy screening. However, these devices require expertise for operation, limiting its broad application. In this paper, two handheld fundus camera prototypes developed by Fraunhofer AICOS (EyeFundusScope Compact and EyeFundusScope Standard) have their optical capabilities compared, not only between each other but also with another commercially available camera. Field-of-view measurements are performed, as well as a subjective analysis on eye model images acquired with each of prototypes. Besides the comparison between handheld devices in the same experimental setup, conceptual specification on the prototype and optical system for the Compact version are described in order to demonstrate the most relevant issues to be considered when developing a valuable instrument for diabetic retinopathy screening and diagnosis.