Japanese University Develops Video Game That Detects Glaucoma In The Eyes

You’ve spent all this time saving others (in video games); now, who’s going to save you? Potentially, this shooting game developed by the Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine and television network Sendai Broadcasting.

Meteor Blaster is a browser-based mobile shooting game designed to identify early signs of glaucoma, the leading cause of irreversible blindness in Japan. The game is free and could even change someone’s life, as the condition usually evades detection in the initial stages.

With glaucoma, which is damage to the optic nerves, patients often don’t recognize that anything is wrong until it reaches a point of little recovery.

That’s why researchers in Japan have banded together to create a simple way to spot optical issues early on, and quickly, without having to visit the doctor. In just five minutes, players of Meteor Blaster will be able to find out if they’re at risk of glaucoma.

The gameplay involves blasting meteoroids from a central laser cannon, while capturing white dots that surface on the screen. Since this is still an optical test, users are urged to hold their smartphones at the prime distance of 30 centimers (12 inches) away.

The game assesses players’ reactions to the objects and, within five minutes, presents a report of 16 sections, with the performance for each benchmark rated from one to five. One is the perfect score, but players with scores of fives are encouraged to consult an expert, reports SoraNews24.

The short, gamified evaluation, patented last July, could bring transformative implications.

Professor Toru Nakazawa, one of the game’s developers, says that there are an estimated 4.65 million people in Japan who have glaucoma, “but roughly 90% do not go to the hospital.” A quick eye check at home could lead to an early diagnosis at the hospital and make impending irreversible blindness, well, reversible.

[via SoraNews24 and University Journal, cover image via Tohoku University]