A 3D-printed portable slit lamp for high-resolution anterior segment images

Purpose: To introduce, describe and validate a novel, 3D-printed portable slit lamp system integrated with a macro lens-equipped smartphone, providing clinicians with a quick, easy, and effective method for obtaining high-quality clinical images. Materials and Methods: A 3D-printed portable slit lamp was developed, comprising a warm white LED light pen housed in a custom case with a biconvex lens focusing light through a 0.4 mm slit. A high-end smartphone equipped with a 100 mm macro lens served as the imaging device. Thirteen patients with various ocular conditions were examined using both the portable slit lamp and a conventional slit lamp. Three ophthalmology specialists, each with at least 3 years of experience, evaluated 26 images to assess the image quality and diagnostic efficiency using a Likert scale from 1 to 5. At the end of the evaluation, they rated the ease of use of the device in obtaining clinical images of the anterior segment, using a Likert scale from 1 to 4. Results: Data on quality perception and diagnostic efficiency demonstrated high values comparable to those obtained with the conventional slit lamp. The specialists rated the image quality with mean scores of 4.54, 4.46, and 4.31, and diagnostic efficiency with mean scores of 4.62, 4.69, and 4.38. The device was also found to be very user-friendly, receiving scores of 4, 4, and 3. Conclusion: Our 3D-printed portable slit lamp system, coupled with a modern smartphone, effectively captured high-resolution images of the anterior segment in an easy and inexpensive way.