PEEK stands for “Portable Eye Examination Kit” and is a new product being developed by a team of ophthalmologists, engineers, and software developers. The goal is simply to help save the eyesight of millions of people worldwide. Rural populations in undeveloped countries tend to have little or no access to professional eye care. The ophthalmologists tend to be located in the urban centers, and rural healthcare services tend not to have access to the expense specialized equipment required to diagnose many vision problems. Left untreated, these problems can lead to blindness.

The developers have created a combination of hardware and software that can convert a smartphone into a clinical-quality eye exam lab, testing for everything from visual acuity to cataracts and retinal disease. The system can take photographs of a patient’s eye, which can then be sent to vision experts for review and diagnosis. The system can also record patient results over time, making it possible to track changes in vision and the effectiveness of treatments.

The project has an Indigogo campaign that has already reached its funding goal. You can make a donation that will give a healthcare worker a PEEK system, thanks to a partnership with Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness.