Customer success-story: Optomed secured 1,97 M€ EU funding for Smartscope-X - affordable, accessible and automatic screening for diabetic retinopathy
In May, the Finnish medical technology company Optomed was granted 1,97 M€ from Horizon 2020 SME Phase 2 instrument under the topic Accelerating market introduction of ICT solutions for Health, Well-Being and Ageing Well. The funding will help Optomed make their product Smartscope-X the leading solution for diabetic retinopathy screening, supporting the company’s vision to provide affordable eye screenings to everyone.
Diabetic retinopathy is the most frequent cause of preventable blindness in working-aged adults, affecting people with all types of diabetes. Visual impairment and blindness caused by diabetic retinopathy can be prevented through early and effective screening. Currently, screening is costly, time-consuming and needs to be done by an ophthalmologist. Optomed’s solution will allow patients to do the screenings automatically and get the diagnosis in real-time.
Optomed’s fully automated diabetic retinopathy screening solution consists of three main components: a low-cost handheld camera, an automated screening algorithm and a cloud service for eyeground images. As a low-cost and portable solution, Smartscope-X can also provide access to screening for example in developing countries.
Spinverse supported Optomed in project preparation, including help in defining the scope, matching the call and assisting in writing the proposal. After a positive decision from the EU Commission in May 2017, Spinverse supported Optomed in the project negotiation phase.
"The cooperation with Spinverse worked well. The applicant always has the main responsibility during the application process, but the support from Spinverse and their expertise on the application process helped us achieve the desired outcome," says Seppo Kopsala, CEO of Optomed.
The project officially began in August. Currently, Optomed is working on product development related to the integration between the camera and the software as well as choosing subcontractors for the server solution. Next steps towards the commercialization of Smartscope-X include several clinical tests and commercial pilots in target countries during 2018–2019.
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Photo credit: Optomed