US-based firm Baxter has launched Welch Allyn RetinaVue 100 Imager PRO in South Korea, that enables diabetic retinopathy screening in primary care settings.

Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness among working-age adults globally. With early detection and treatment, as much as 95 percent of vision loss cases can be prevented. Compliance with annual diabetic retinal exams in South Korea was found to be approximately 53%, with only 73% of those taking place in the last 12 months.  Up to 80% of individuals with type two diabetes may eventually develop some stage of diabetic retinopathy.

By quickly and comfortably screening patients as part of their routine primary care visit, it has been shown that RetinaVue can double patient compliance for potentially vision-saving annual diabetic retinal exams (DREs) in 12 months.

The RetinaVue 100 Imager PRO costs significantly less than full-size fundus cameras, yet the imager is designed such that any healthcare professional in a primary care practice can capture high-quality fundus images with minimal training.

With nonmydriatic capture through a 3.0mm pupil, the RetinaVue 100 Imager PRO enables comfortable exams without pharmacologic dilation. The handheld, portable device is an attractive solution for mobility across multiple locations.