Inspiration
Development began in August 2014 as part of the Center for Bioengineering Innovation and Design (CBID) Master’s program at Johns Hopkins University. As part of the CBID program, our team was immersed at Johns Hopkins Hospital, directly observing a variety of settings that included operating rooms, in-patient and out-patient clinics, and emergency triage. From these observations, potential problems were vetted based on market size, intellectual property landscape, regulatory framework, competitor dynamics, and clinical impact. This approach enabled the team to identify a key challenge in today’s healthcare system- the growing rate of avoidable eye diseases in the United States. A solution with the greatest potential to this important issue is discussed herein.
What it does
The OptoView system includes both a mobile application and web portal that enables primary care physicians to perform sight-saving retinal screenings at the first line of care. The OptoView mobile app is compatible with any smartphone-enabled ophthalmoscope, allowing the physician to record 1080p HD videos of the patient's retinas. Upon recording, the physician is prompted with a list of local eye care specialists who are available to analyze the exams. Both the patient information and video recordings are saved to a HIPAA-compliant database as they await review. Eye care specialists are then provided tools through the web portal to extract video frames, annotate the images, and write up any findings and follow-up instructions. Primary care providers are notified once the exam has been reviewed and can schedule referrals for their patients upon request.
How we built it
Initial design of the mobile application and website were developed by the two co-founders, Brock and Aaron, as they taught themselves iOS Objective-C programming. This proof of concept helped secure initial funding through various business plan competitions and acceptance into the Health Wildcatters accelerator in Dallas. Through this program, the team strengthened the business model and acquired additional capital that has been used to hire a team of developers in Austin. The company, Enola Labs, previously specialized in medical applications and has helped create the 2nd generation of the mobile application and website.
Challenges we ran into
It's difficult enough to sell to one group of physicians but to sell two groups of physicians (both primary care and eye care specialists) on the idea has been a big challenge. We have mitigated this risk by creating an advisory board with key opinion leaders that represent both major stakeholders.
Another major challenge has been to develop a more physician-friendly UI that other competitors have had issues with. Throughout development, we consulted and iterated with different physician groups to ensure that the mobile app and website flow would not increase the current amount of time spent per patient. As of April 4th, we are beginning a three month pilot test to study user interaction and technical feasibility of the system.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
We are proud to have placed 2nd at the 2014 UNL New Venture Competition in Lincoln, Nebraska; 2nd place at the 2014 NAPEC Innovation Challenge in New York, New York; 2nd place at the Johns Hopkins University Business Plan Competition hosted by the Center for Leadership Education; selected as a top finalist at the Kairos 50 Global Summit honoring innovative ventures around the world; and to have recently graduated from the Health Wildcatters accelerator 2015 class in Dallas, TX.
What we learned
We are a dedicated team of engineers and physicians striving to improve eye care for both patients and physicians. In that pursuit we've learned new programming languages, reimbursement and CPT code strategies, FDA class regulations, and proper business plan development, among many other things.
The most important thing we've learned, however, is how much patients and physicians alike need our product. Retinal exams are a critical tool in preventative and diagnostic care. These screenings allow physicians to detect the earliest signs of vision loss while monitoring the progression of other conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure. For those reasons, more than 71 million patients are recommended for annual retinal exams. Unfortunately, less than 50% of the recommended population complies with these screenings. Thus, our technology increases the screening, diagnostic, and monitoring capabilities at the primary level while providing patients with earlier disease detection and treatment.
What's next for OptoView
With our beta software releasing at the end of March, we are beginning to sign physicians and specialists to the platform for a three-month testing program. We aim to reach ten primary care providers and five eye care specialists during this study with the goal that all feedback will help make improvements to the software prior to launch.
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