OAKLAND, N.J.—Topcon Healthcare, a provider of medical devices and software solutions for the global eyecare community, announced that it has joined forces with Orbis International, a global nonprofit organization delivering sight-saving programs in more than 200 countries and territories, and the Rwanda International Institute of Ophthalmology (RIIO), to expand diabetic retinopathy screening in Rwanda. The company also shared that it has donated NW400 and NW500 robotic retinal cameras for use in diabetic retinopathy screenings for patients with diabetes in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda.

"Access to regular diabetic retinopathy screenings is important to catch the disease early, before permanent vision loss, or even blindness, occurs,” said professor Ciku Mathenge, medical advisor, Orbis International, and RIIO founding director. “We are proud to partner with Topcon, whose donation will make diabetic retinopathy screening more accessible to patients in Kigali, Rwanda, and prevent future vision loss. We are grateful for their generosity and commitment to increasing access to eyecare around the world.”

The Topcon-Orbis-RIIO partnership brings diabetic patients to high-volume health clinics for retinal imaging with Topcon’s robotic cameras, the groups stated. The images are uploaded to Cybersight AI, Orbis’s online artificial intelligence (AI) tool that the company said can detect signs of common eye diseases, including diabetic retinopathy, in seconds.

 
 Etienne Uwingabire, senior nurse and director of the Rwanda Diabetes Association, screens a patient with Topcon’s NW400 retinal camera. Photo courtesy of Orbis International/Serrah Galos
  
According to the announcement, the partnership is guided by the results of Orbis’s recently published research in Rwanda, which demonstrated increased referral compliance and high patient satisfaction when receiving immediate results via Cybersight AI screening for diabetic retinopathy.

“We are very excited about our partnership with Orbis," said Peter van der Ree, senior sales director, distributor sales EMEA for Topcon Europe Medical. "It has the potential to significantly impact the early detection and treatment of diabetic retinopathy in Rwanda. The combination of Topcon’s robotic retinal imaging technology with AI image analysis will provide sight-saving services for the people of Rwanda and help prevent vision loss from diabetes.”