Optain
Unlocking Health Insights through AI-Powered Retinal Screening

The human eye has the ability to offer deep insights into the overall health of our body, because it contains physiological components from multiple systems including the cardiovascular, nervous and sensory. Doctors traditionally examine the eyes in routine health checkups, using bright lights to inspect the retina for signs of complications or disease states. What if, instead of depending on manual observation, they could obtain an image of the back of the eye and tools that assess the various biomarkers associated with multiple disease states?

Optain, a medical device and software company, is making this possible through artificial intelligence (AI), setting a new benchmark in healthcare. Its technology uses double-digit layers of AI to deliver affordable, real-time, non-invasive screening that aids in diagnosing a host of health conditions.

The company’s AI-based solution Eyetelligence Assure serves as a screening tool alerting clinicians to potential downstream health issues. This AI, along with Optain's Resolve camera aids the company in expanding the field of oculomics, the scientific study of biomarkers using AI, enabling the discovery of new disease states and screening opportunities.

“Our cutting-edge eye screening solutions present new diagnostic avenues, equipping clinicians with enhanced patient information to optimize treatment strategies,” says Jeff Dunkel, CEO of Optain.

The company, born from a joint venture of New York-based startup studio Aegis Ventures and New York’s largest healthcare provider Northwell Health, addresses the gap in suitable healthcare solutions despite the availability of camera manufacturers and AI technologies in the U.S. Optain invested $12 Million USD into using AI for disease screening created by the Australian based company, Eyetelligence. Rebranded as Optain, it offers a holistic, affordable solution to the market.

While traditional methods of eye examination have largely been confined to optometry and ophthalmology, Optain's solution extends its reach to primary care and family practice settings, enabling assessment of cardiovascular and diabetic retinopathy issues. This proves highly useful in mandatory annual retinopathy screenings recommended for diabetic individuals in the US. In addition, Optain can flag indicators of cardiovascular problems and expands into additional common vision loss disease states.

Optain’s Resolve camera represents a radical change in primary care diagnostics, capturing precise retinal images without extensive training. Its portable, automatic, battery-powered and lightweight design integrates into clinical workflows, enabling high-quality image capture without dilation. The face mask-like design, coupled with multi-layered AI, accurately measures pupil sizes and aligns the camera for efficient imaging, ensuring that even historically difficult-to-capture patients can be imaged with precision on the initial attempt. This empowers healthcare professionals to make informed decisions and intervene early, enhancing patient outcomes and optimizing healthcare delivery.

Our cutting-edge eye screening solutions present new diagnostic avenues, equipping clinicians with enhanced patient information to optimize treatment strategies

Optain brings a paradigm shift in diagnostic technology that mirrors the use of AI in other medical imaging modalities, like cancer mapping via CT and MRI scans. Its screening and image capture solutions also have the capacity to remedy the issues arising from the high costs associated with specialized cameras and the need for skilled operators that used to make such screenings impractical in family practice settings, where diabetic patients primarily seek care.

The journey to developing these innovative solutions is marked by Optain’s strategic partnerships driven by a relentless pursuit of expansion. Having established a strong presence in Europe, the Middle East, Australia and New Zealand, it is poised to make its mark in the U.S. market, further cementing its status as a leader in AI-driven healthcare solutions.

As oculomics advances through scientific and AI exploration, Optain continues to uncover new disease states and opportunities for non-invasive healthcare screening, committed to simplifying clinicians' diagnoses and improving patient outcomes.