# Blindness-Curing Devices These CATRA Smartphone Eyepieces Help Those With Cataracts By Omar Yusuf | Published 2011-07-07 | Tech Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/catra-eyepiece References: [gizmodo](http://gizmodo.com/5818553/the-smartphone-eyepiece-that-diagnoses-cataracts) & [web.media.mit.edu](http://web.media.mit.edu/~pamplona/CATRA/) Like polio and smallpox before it, blindness may become a thing of the past thanks to CATRA, an innovative new smartphone device developed at the [Massachusetts Institute of Technology](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/xar). Cataracts, a condition which clouds the vision of its victims, remains the leading cause of blindness worldwide, yet it's easily treated if diagnosed early on. With this in mind, [MIT](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/cognito-therapeutics) researchers have been hard at work to exploit the prevalence of smartphone technology in the hopes of reducing cataracts and, eventually, blindness in developing countries. CATRA comes in two parts: a phone app and an attachable eyepiece. The latter scans your eye and looks for cloudy areas in the lens, which are produced when proteins group together. With a full scan of your eye complete, the application allows users to detect early-stage cataracts and delivers a diagnosis in mere minutes. Thanks to falling production costs and to the growing abundance of cheap smartphones, MIT and [Camera Culture](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/camera-iq) are confident that CATRA will produce tangible effects in the medical discipline and hopefully save lives. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.9/10 - Popularity: 27% | Activity: 52% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Top markets: North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Tech](https://www.trendhunter.com/tech) > [Gadgets](https://www.trendhunter.com/gadgets) ## Key Themes ### What's Driving This Trend - **Blindness-curing Devices:** CATRA and other innovative devices are paving the way for a future without blindness. - **Mobile Medical Diagnostics:** Smartphone applications like CATRA could revolutionize how health professionals diagnose and treat medical conditions. - **Accessible Healthcare:** Smartphone-based medical diagnostics like CATRA can greatly improve healthcare access for those in remote areas. ### Who This Affects Most - **Medical Technology:** CATRA and other devices like it represent a major disruptive opportunity in the medical technology industry. - **Smartphone Manufacturing:** The growth of smartphone technology is helping to make innovations like CATRA more accessible to developing countries. - **Healthcare Services:** CATRA is just one example of the many ways healthcare providers can use technology to improve accessibility to life-saving services. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Accessible Eye Health Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/eye-health-app.md) - [Cataract-Clearing Treatments](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/vp1-001.md) - [AI-Powered Retinal Screening Devices](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ai-optics.md) - [Automated Vision Therapy Devices](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/smart-eye-care-device.md) - [AR-Powered Eye Training Devices](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/eyes-amblyopia-trainer.md) - [Wearable Assistive Smart Eyewear](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lighthouse-tech.md) - [Nano Projector Nearsightedness Eyewear](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kubota-glass-eyeglasses.md) - [Consolidated Eye-Tracking Platforms](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/eyetracking-platform.md) - [Portable AI-Powered Healthcare Devices](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/aipowered-healthcare.md)