Aetheia – Digital ophthalmic diagnostic platform that combines high-resolution imaging, remote control capabilities, and intelligent automation to deliver advanced eye examinations without the clinician and patient needing to be physically co-located.
Developed by Eyoto and widely deployed by SpaMedica, one of the UK’s leading independent providers of ophthalmology services, Aetheia represents a dramatic shift in how eye health services — including complex diagnostics and routine assessments — can be delivered efficiently, precisely, and at scale.
Traditional eye examinations, especially those involving slit lamp imaging, require a clinician to be physically present to manipulate specialized optical instruments and inspect delicate structures of the eye. However, rising demand for ophthalmic care, workforce shortages, and long waiting lists have created significant pressures on healthcare systems such as the NHS. To address these challenges, SpaMedica adopted Aetheia as part of a broader strategy to expand access, improve throughput, and maintain high clinical standards across its network of hospitals and clinics.
At its core, Aetheia is built around a digital slit lamp imaging system — a type of diagnostic device traditionally used to examine the anterior segment (front structures) of the eye. What sets Aetheia apart is that it is fully digital, remote-controlled, and automated, enabled by high-resolution 4K imaging and advanced control systems that can replicate, and often enhance, traditional clinical eye exams.
Key Components and Features
1. High-Resolution 4K Digital Imaging
Aetheia captures clinically detailed ocular images and video in 4K resolution with up to 25× zoom, delivering exceptional view quality of structures such as the cornea, iris, conjunctiva, and eyelids. This level of clarity supports accurate diagnosis and documentation, even in remote settings.
2. Remote-Controlled Slit Lamp Operation
Under Aetheia:Remote, clinicians — including ophthalmologists and optometrists — can control the slit lamp’s movement, illumination, focus, and slit parameters in real time from an external location. This capability enables one clinician to examine patients across multiple sites without travel, significantly extending reach and flexibility.
3. Intelligent Automation with Aetheia:Auto
The Aetheia:Auto variant uses Auto-Optometry™ technology to automate many aspects of the examination process. With automated alignment, focus, pupil centering, and procedural steps (e.g., corneal sweep or gross eye exam), the system can execute comprehensive examinations with minimal technician input — reducing variability, shortening exam times, and expanding throughput in busy clinics.
4. Technician-Assisted or Fully Autonomous Workflow
Aetheia supports flexible workflows:
- Remote clinician–led controls where a technician assists the patient on site, and
- Automated autonomous exam protocols (Auto-Optometry™) that handle imaging and capture end-to-end exam sequences with the touch of a button.
5. DualView Analytics
Aetheia’s DualView feature allows side-by-side comparison of paired images (e.g., both eyes), enabling quicker assessment of symmetry, progression, or change over time — an asset in tracking conditions or planning treatment.
Clinical and Operational Impact
Improving Access to Eye Care
By decoupling clinical assessment from physical presence, Aetheia greatly expands access for patients in remote or underserved areas, where specialist clinicians may be scarce. It enables a clinician to deliver high-quality examinations across satellite clinics from a centralized location, supporting continuity of care and reducing patient travel burdens.
Boosting Efficiency and Throughput
Automated functions and remote workflows help shorten appointment durations, reduce variability, improve scheduling flexibility, and increase the number of exams completed per clinic session. This efficiency can play a vital role in reducing waiting lists — particularly for high-demand procedures like cataract assessments.
Standardised, Consistent Clinical Quality
Clinical evaluations conducted with Aetheia’s remote system have demonstrated equivalence to traditional in-person slit lamp exams, ensuring that diagnostic quality and gradings remain consistent across locations and operators. This builds trust in remote workflows, especially for critical assessments like cataract grading.
Enhanced Patient Experience
Patients benefit from shorter waiting times, easier access to specialised care, and reduced need for travel. Clinics gain greater scheduling flexibility and the ability to deploy scarce clinical expertise most effectively.