USF Health tests $42 at

TAMPA, Fla. — USF Health ophthalmologists in Tampa are testing an at-home glaucoma screening tool that uses artificial intelligence, a cellphone, a VR headset and a handheld clicker to help patients monitor their vision outside the doctor’s office.

The technology is still in its testing phase and is patent-pending. Doctors said the goal is to replicate a glaucoma test that can cost $30,000 in a medical office with a $42 at-home alternative.

Glaucoma affects the optic nerve, which connects the eye to the brain, and can lead to blindness. Health experts say many people can go years without being diagnosed.

Jeffrey Reuter said a routine checkup in 2023 led to a diagnosis he was not expecting.

“I didn’t notice the pressure in my eye. It’s something you can’t feel,” Reuter said. “I didn’t notice any problems with my peripheral vision.”

Reuter says he was nearsighted and has had eye issues in the past.

Since his diagnosis, Reuter has used eye drops every day and has routine eye exams to see how the treatment is affecting his vision.

He said the appointments changed his day-to-day life.

“It’s just very time-consuming, taking off of work,” Reuter said. “There’s money involved, and it’s just something you have to deal with, something I have to deal with if I want to continue to see.”

Dr. Ramesh Ayyala, an ophthalmologist at USF Health, is behind the technology.

He said the AI-powered app is designed to allow patients to perform visual field testing at home.

“As you keep doing this test, the algorithms and AI tools are going to analyze it for you,” Ayyala said.

Ayyala said the tool could help get people diagnosed earlier.

“They’re going to tell you, do you have the disease or not, first of all,” Ayyala said. “Do you have a disease that triggers you to go to the doctors for the checkup, and if you do have the disease, is it stable?”

Reuter is one of 60 patients using the technology so far. He said it has been a game changer.

“The more people that he’s able to help with this, the more people’s vision that can be saved,” Reuter said.

Doctors at USF Health said once the technology is FDA-approved, they hope to introduce it to other countries.