My eye

A technique for testing the peripheral vision of young children could be given a boost – thanks to the inventors putting it into the hands of Cambridge students.

Although similar products are used to measure the peripheral vision of adults, they are not suitable for small children.

Dr Louise Allen

KidzEyez is a new low-cost product designed to help gather accurate readings of toddlers’ fields of vision. It was created by Dr Louise Allen, who is a paediatric ophthalmologist from Addenbrooke’s Hospital and an Associate Lecturer at the University of Cambridge’s Department of Medicine, and Dr Adar Pelah of York University.

The prototype device is a first in its field. Although similar products are used to measure the peripheral vision of adults, they are not suitable for small children. Dr Allen and Dr Pelah’s invention could become a lifesaver as potentially serious neurological conditions such as tumours of the optic chiasm and pituitary gland can be picked up and treated earlier if visual- field loss can be detected, preventing permanent loss of vision and neurological deficit.

Now a group of research students is helping to formulate a plan to commercialise the product and market it to health providers. The students are part of the University of Cambridge i-Teams Programme, which brings together students from across the University to analyse the commercial potential of an emerging, breakthrough technology. The team was mentored by Cambridge business angel Bob Pettigrew and Dr Nikoletta Athanassopoulou of the Institute for Manufacturing.

‘i-Teams has been an incredibly useful resource for us in the development of KidzEyez,’ said Dr Allen. ‘The team has been able to confirm a large potential market for KidzEyez and enabled me, as a clinician, to understand the principles and practicalities of marketing the device.’

For more information about i-Teams, please contact i-Teams Programme Director Amy Mokady (am678@cam.ac.uk;www.iteamsonline.org/); for more information about KidzEyez, please contact Dr Louise Allen (louise@louiseallen.com).


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