AI-driven headset that detects AMD set for Australian debut 

A US company that has incorporated dark adaptometry into a new wearable headset for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is on the cusp of introducing the AI-guided technology to the Australian ophthalmic market.

MacuLogix is launching its AdaptDx Pro device, which will be distributed in Australia by Optos pending Therapeutic Goods Administration approval.

It builds on the company’s original AdaptDx automated dark adaptometer, which is a table-top device introduced in 2014. The instrument has since been used by more than 1,000 eye care professionals worldwide to identify and monitor AMD.

In this short time, the company says dark adaptometry has lessened the profession’s reliance on risk assessment by providing a tool that delivers a definitive AMD diagnosis with 90% sensitivity and specificity.¹

“Not only is this functional test highly accurate, but it also detects the disease at least three years before it can be observed clinically², giving doctors and patients time to slow down or halt progression,” a company statement said.

According to MacuLogix, dark adaptometry gained attention in 2017 when a large peer-reviewed study revealed that subjective dilated fundus exam testing and photography cannot reliably enable detection of AMD – even in patients who have large drusen. ³

Conversely, the AdaptDx is said to remove the guesswork when diagnosing AMD early in the disease process, meaning the need for dark adaptation in eyecare is now widely recognised.

Now, to overcome obstacles to adoption – such as space or staff shortages – MacuLogix has developed the new AdaptDx Pro.

It includes the functionality of the company’s table-top dark adaptometer in a wearable headset that requires no dark-room and also features an artificial intelligence-driven onboard technician named Theia.

According to the company, the self-contained headset creates a personal dark room so patients can take the test anywhere in the practice, in any light conditions. Once the testing protocol has been chosen, Theia takes over to facilitate a reliable, consistent test by using automated instructions and adaptive feedback spoken directly to the patient.

In turn, the AdaptDx Pro helps eyecare providers diagnose and manage AMD with greater confidence and ease, the company stated.

References

[1] Jackson GR, et al. Diagnostic Sensitivity and Specificity of Dark Adaptometry for Detection of Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2014;55:1427-1431.

[2] Owsley C, et al. Delayed Rod-Mediated Dark Adaptation Is a Functional Biomarker for Incident Early Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Ophthal. 2016;123(2):344–351.

[3] Neely DC, et al. Prevalence of undiagnosed age-related macular degeneration in primary eye care. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2017;135(6):570-5.