Kiwi technology helping to treat global blindness
Tuesday 2 May 2023, 7:58AM
By The Kaizen Group
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Cataracts are a leading cause of global blindness affecting half of the world's visually impaired population. The condition, which occurs when the eye's natural lens becomes opaque, can be treated through a simple 20-minute operation in which the natural lens is replaced with an artificial intraocular lens.
The Fred Hollows Foundation Laboratory in Kathmandu is a major manufacturer of Cataract Lenses essential for effective cataract treatment. To ensure the lenses are free from bacteria and viruses, production staff must adhere to stringent cleanroom garment protocols to prevent the spread of personal bacteriological bio flora within the manufacturing area.
Traditionally, training and monitoring staff on gowning procedures has been time-consuming and subject to human error. However, an innovative technology developed by New Zealand-based Blue Mirror is poised to revolutionize this process.
Blue Mirror employs artificial intelligence (AI) to guide production staff through cleanroom garment gowning procedures, verifying their adherence to safety protocols and granting access to the cleanroom. By eliminating human error, Blue Mirror significantly reduces the risk of contamination.
Rommie Nunes, the inventor and founder of Blue Mirror says, " Our goal is to reduce infections by providing a clever and cost-efficient delivery of practical PPE training.
Training and monitoring PPE is a time-consuming job that demands a highly skilled specialist in every location where PPE training is needed. Blue Mirror becomes an AI extension of those experts, empowering them to do more, efficiently and effectively. "
Sir Ray Avery International Technical Advisor the Fred Hollows Foundation IOL Laboratory Kathmandu Nepal said "The integration of Blue Mirror technology into the Fred Hollows Lens Laboratory Nepal will enhance safety, increase efficiency, and improve the overall rate of intraocular lens production in the fight against cataract-induced blindness.
The team at Blue Mirror kindly donated this technology to the Fred Hollows Foundation IOL Laboratory factory in Nepal.