Smartphone stereoscopic imaging: Inexpensive 3d telemedicine

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to present a novel method of capturing and viewing stereoscopic ophthalmological pictures using the inexpensive smartphone technology applied to a common slit lamp. To assess the best perceived method for viewing this images when reconstructed. Methods: We adapted two smartphones using a fixation device for each slit-lamp ocular. By obtaining simultaneous images of each ocular, we reconstructed them in different formats. Images from a trabeculectomy bullae, corneal transplant, and glaucomatous optic nerve (GON) were rated by five independent ophthalmologists in terms of perceived image quality from 1 to 5. Results: All of the images obtained were three dimensional and of very good quality (grading 4.04 ± 0.84) in a scale from 1 to 5. Parallel-eyed images were graded with a mean of 4.5 ± 0.5, and anaglyph images were graded 3.58 ± 0.86, which was statistically lower than for parallel-eyed format (P = 0.002). Mean image quality was lower for the optic nerve and higher for the penetrating keratoplasty (PK) image, but grades did not differ significantly for the three different pictures (bullae vs. PK P = 0.18; PK vs. GON P = 0.07; bullae vs. GON P = 0.59). Conclusions: It is possible to obtain the quality stereoscopic images by combining the smartphone technology and fixation devices.

Keywords

• anaglyph
• ophthalmic photography
• optic nerve
• smartphones
• stereoscopy