Upcycling Cell Phones

Used Galaxy smartphones are being given a new lease on life as low-cost diagnostic equipment that can image the human eye to screen for potential ophthalmic disease. Paired with the EYELIKE™ handheld fundus camera, the Galaxy device utilizes an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm to analyze the images and suggest a treatment protocol. Conditions that can be detected include age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that at least 2.2 billion people suffer from some form of vision impairment, almost half of which are preventable or simply undiagnosed. But there is a large disparity of care based on income levels. An affordable and portable system such as this can break down some of these barriers, particularly in low-income regions of the world. The program started in Vietnam in 2018 and has since expanded to India, Morocco, and Papua New Guinea.

The initiative is also part of Samsung’s corporate-wide commitment to building environmental sustainability into their products through purposeful innovation. To that end, the system is made with 35 percent recycled materials and designed to be easily repurposed.