The eyes are the only source of human vision. Unfortunately, due to the fast pace of life and the widespread use of electronic devices, the health of our eyes is increasingly at risk. Prolonged usage of devices and negligence in eye protection have resulted in reduced vision or even eye diseases. To raise awareness about eye protection and provide simple screening services, Mr. Maurice Chang, a prospective graduate majoring in Biomedical Engineering, organized a vision screening event with his partners at Tin Yiu Plaza in Tin Shui Wai under the sponsorship of the “Dreaming Through Chung Chi Scheme”. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) technology was also applied to enhance the protection effort.

Q: Why choose Tin Yiu Plaza for Mind+ vision screening?

There are several reasons for selecting Tin Yiu Plaza as the venue. Primarily, the location of Tin Yiu Plaza in a densely populated area facilitates greater accessibility for residents, who can attend the screening with minimal inconvenience. Secondly, the elderly population in Tin Shui Wai is significant, and many of them are unable to afford the screening fees charged by private service providers. By offering an accessible, cost-free screening service in this ageing community, Mind+ aims to provide elders with a definitive diagnosis and subsequent treatment recommendations, ensuring timely detection of eye disease. This will enhance their quality of life and reduce the burden on the public medical system.

Residents experience vision screening with eye checking machine.

Q: How is the OCT technology applied to vision screening?

OCT artificial intelligence technology is an innovative advancement based on optical coherence tomography technology. This non-invasive imaging technique provides high-resolution cross-sectional images of the retina, enabling the early detection of various eye conditions. Another breakthrough of Mind+ technology is the application of an artificial intelligence algorithm that, by studying and analyzing a large number of eye images, can clearly and effectively detect any signs of eye disease, providing the elderly with a faster and definitive diagnosis.

During the Mind+ vision screening at Tin Yiu Plaza, we deployed the OCT facilities, which were operated by an experienced medical team. Participants only needed to take a seat, and the OCT would scan their eyes, with AI providing a detailed report in just several minutes. OCT is a highly effective and distinctive screening method, useful for detecting eye diseases at early stages, such as retinal diseases, glaucoma, or macular degeneration.

The entire screening process has to be expedited as we have many residents to accommodate.

Q: What is the purpose of the screening?

The goal of Mind+ is to raise public awareness of vision screening and provide residents with simple screening services to protect their eye health. At the Tin Yiu Plaza screening event, sponsored by the “Dreaming Through Chung Chi Scheme”, we served about 100 elderly people, of whom about 30 were referred to our partner clinic for further testing.

We are honored to be able to provide vision screening to so many elderly people and to enable those in need to receive further diagnosis and treatment. Local vision screening helps residents know if there are problems with their eyes so that they can take timely medical action. We will continue to try and arrange vision screening for more residents and help protect people's eyesight.

We are also planning to expand this service in the future to cover more communities and different age groups. Through events like this one, we aim to help more people understand the importance of eye care. We will also improve and upgrade our screening techniques in line with technological innovation, ensuring that every citizen can detect their risk of eye disease promptly.