Bosch, a leading supplier of technology and services, has announced the launch of a locally-developed eye-care solution in India. The company’s new eye screening and detection system offers a combination of hardware and software and provides affordable eye care. The compact hand-held fundus camera is designed to respond to the shortage of eye-care specialists and the high demand for vision screening in the country.

According to global health statistics, nearly one of every three visually impaired people in the world is an Indian. “Our foray into this area would  promote better ophthalmological care for all Indians,” said Dr. Steffen Berns, president, Bosch Group in India, at the product’s launch, here in Bengaluru.

“Our  eye screening and detection system brings in global standards of ophthalmic care to India. It has been conceptualised and developed in India with state-of-the-art technology from across the world,”

Around  80 percent of cases of vision loss in India is preventable. Our eye screening and detection system meets the demand for comprehensive eye care of the middle- and lower-income demographic and offers high functionality, ease of use, and a cost effective system to doctors, he added.

The new eye screening and detection system is now available to an array of customers, ranging from ophthalmologists, to optical chains and from government primary healthcare centres to non-governmental institutions involved in vision care. It provides early detection and imaging without dilation, the system has a modular architecture for capturing both the front and back of the eye, and a light weight for easy portability. Its software is cloud- and smartphone-compatible and thus appropriate for Indian settings, and caters to the needs of both specialists and technicians. The hardware and software combination represents a first for the Indian market and can be augmented with automated detection algorithms for different eye conditions.

“We have been making concerted efforts to further strengthen our non-automotive business in the Indian market. The launch of the eye screening and detection system is a step in this direction. We are committed to addressing local needs with products and services which are ‘Invented for life’, Berns said.

Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions Limited, Bosch’s largest software development center outside Germany, started the product development almost two years ago in collaboration with various startups and universities. The device has been tested by several eye-care providers. The company has filed five patents and is planning to further develop the technology in this line of business in the upcoming years.