Chinese scientists have developed an application that turns the cameras of ordinary smartphones into a tool for early detection of visual impairments in children, reports China daily.

Just look at the animated images for three minutes, and a system called Apollo Infant Sight will determine the patient's diagnosis by scanning his gaze and facial features.

The system is able to detect 16 types of diseases with 85% accuracy, including congenital cataract and congenital glaucoma. The test results are displayed in a special application, and if a high risk of visual impairment is detected, it informs about the need to refer the child to experienced pediatric ophthalmologists.

According to Lin Haotian, a professor at the Zhongshan Ophthalmology Center of Sun Yat-sen University, under whose leadership the study was conducted, this process was previously difficult because children are distracted during standard vision tests.

The system has been tested in five different clinics and under different conditions. It has demonstrated the effectiveness and possibility of use by medical professionals, parents for the diagnosis of other conditions, including cerebral visual impairment.

The research team also provided for the confidentiality of the system. She has developed a technology for three-dimensional reconstruction of the face in real time, which allows you to erase biometric data, while maintaining the characteristics of gaze and eye movement.

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