Peek Retina was a portable smartphone attachment that enabled the user to view and capture images of the optic nerve. It was designed to be intuitive and easy to use and to work in any environment, from clinical settings to remote rural areas.
We decided to stop selling Peek Retina because it became clear that investing in our software and data intelligence platform to support eye health programmes was going to make a bigger contribution to achieving our mission than investing in the further developments that Peek Retina needed to meet its potential.
There are user guides available for existing Peek Retina owners. Download the Instruction Manual PDF [English] and see the instructional video and Frequently Asked Questions below.
Frequently asked questions – Peek Retina
Having carefully examined user feedback, research and the wider market for devices like this, we reached the conclusion that the resources required to continue selling Peek Retina are not justified by its potential impact (in its current form) in the low- and middle-income countries where better eye health resources are most needed.
Since Peek Retina launched in 2017, Peek Solutions (our smartphone tools to help eye health services improve) have started to make a substantial global impact. Focusing on Peek Solutions will allow us to make a bigger contribution to achieving our mission than investing in the necessary technical developments, marketing and sales infrastructure needed for Peek Retina to meet its potential.
Nonetheless, we are proud of what we have achieved with Peek Retina, and we hope that its development will inspire other mission-driven eye health organisations to explore the great potential of smartphone-based eye imaging tools.
No further Peek Retina devices are available and we are unable to support existing devices.
Research has shown that Peek Retina works well for examining the optic nerve head in people with dilated pupils, allowing users to identify diseases such as glaucoma and swollen discs. However, its capabilities without the use of dilating eye drops are limited and it cannot confidently be used beyond optic nerve assessment even when dilated for conditions like Diabetic Retinopathy. As such, this limits its use to the diagnosis of specific diseases and to situations where dilating eye drops may be used. Peek Retina was designed to work in almost any environment – from clinical settings to remote rural areas – and on any smartphone with a camera (including inexpensive models with lower-quality lenses). Feedback from users suggests that – with the limitations above in mind – it is indeed useful in a range of settings and on multiple models of smartphone.
Yes. Peek Retina came with a universal clip that enables you to align with any smartphone camera.
In a clinical context, Peek Retina can be used to examine the optic nerve (e.g. for measuring vertical cup-to-disc ratio) in a dilated eye. Users need to have access to and be able to use dilating eye drops; they also need to be able to interpret images or have access to somebody who can.
In an educational context, Peek Retina can be used to train students who lack confidence in performing retinal examinations and need access to a low-cost, easy to use device to practice and discuss results with an expert. The training eye provided with each device means that students can practice without the need for face-to-face contact with a patient.
In research, Peek Retina is best suited to users who wish to measure biomarkers relating to the optic nerve such as disc diameter, vertical cup-to-disc ratio, rim width, notching, etc. It is also suitable for users who wish to validate Peek Retina against existing standards (ophthalmoscope, retinal cameras etc) or assess its use in specific workflows.
Veterinary surgeons have used Peek Retina in the past for the examination of horses, alpaca, cats and dogs and it may be useful in other species also. Given the additional complexity of animal examinations Peek Retina can be used to aid eye assessments, especially in animals who naturally have larger pupils, although pharmacological dilation of the pupils is recommended for optimum results.
No. Peek Retina is intended as a device for healthcare workers to use with their patients.
Yes. In almost every case you will need to dilate the pupil to see the back of the eye with Peek Retina. It may be possible to capture optic disc images from some eyes without dilation, but this is not usually the case. With dilating drops the expected field of view is equivalent to current leading wide field ophthalmoscopes.
Yes. Peek Retina can be used successfully to capture retinal images from children. It can be more difficult to capture a wide field of view on small eyes. As with any examination of a child, they may not respond to your instructions in the same ways as an adult.
No new Peek Retina devices are being manufactured.
When Peek Retina launched, it was one of the first smartphone-based eye imaging devices available to the market. The last few years have seen a number of similar smartphone-based devices launch, with various different use cases, features and limitations. We believe that there is still a substantial gap in the market for a cost-effective, universal smartphone adapter for retinal imaging that can be used without dilating drops. However, Peek Vision is not in a position to take this forward since our work is now focused on apps and public health tools to support eye health services.
It is unlikely that Peek will be able to act as a formal collaborator on any future research projects using Peek Retina. If you would like to enquire about the availability of Peek Retina devices for research use, we would be happy to discuss this with you, should stock remain. Please contact enquiries@peekvision.org with details of your research study and intended use of Peek Retina if you would like to discuss this with us.
Have a look at our user guides. If there is still a problem, we will process refunds in accordance with the manufacturer’s warranty, but we will be unable to process any device returns or advise on defective devices.