Oculomics Startup Optain Acquires Teleophthalmology Network
In September Healthcare Innovation interviewed Aegis Ventures partner Murray Brozinsky about how the venture firm collaborates with a diverse group of health systems to foster innovation tailored to various regional and operational needs. One Aegis startup he mentioned, called Optain Heath, is making news with the the recent acquisition of EyePACS, the nation’s largest teleophthalmology network.
Brozinsky explained that Optain’s solution involves “retinal imaging plus AI plus the science of oculomics, which is using the eye as a window to systemic disease. It’s basically able to look at the vasculature of the eye, and with AI, you can amplify the vasculature of the eye, which maps to the health of the rest of the body,” he said. “They’ve taken that camera used by the ophthalmologist and shrunk it down about 80% in terms of cost and size. Now we can put it into primary care or a kiosk in the mall. The company thinks about this as a new vital sign.”
Optain said the partnership with EyePACS, after two years of close collaboration, will allow for expanded access to retinal screening in primary care.
For more than two decades, EyePACS has powered community-based eye-disease screening across more than 740 clinical sites, including FQHCs, county health systems, and home-health programs. The network has identified more than 140,000 individuals with severe sight-threatening disease among 1.5 million patients screened.
Optain said its platform is now live at 200 provider sites globally, with over 1,000 deployments in planning, including seven U.S. health systems and one of the nation’s largest primary care groups.
The company also said its technology builds on and strengthens the EyePACS community-based screening network. The startup said it brings advanced AI capability and next-generation robotic retinal imaging that enable rapid, high-quality image capture without dilation or operator expertise, making retinal imaging possible wherever patients receive care.
“EyePACS and Optain share a single mission,” said Jeff Dunkel, CEO of Optain Health, in a statement. “We’re focused on delivering simple, scalable screening to the frontlines of care, helping clinicians close gaps and detect disease earlier. Together, we’re bringing forward a complete solution that combines rapid robotic imaging, specialist multi-condition grading, and seamless integration – making early detection possible for millions of patients.”
While the EyePACS platform and workflows will continue to operate as they do today, ensuring full continuity for existing clinics, Optain said that over time it will make significant investments to integrate and improve both platforms. The combined solution will bring together Optain’s advanced imaging and EyePACS’s teleophthalmology infrastructure.
Here is what Optain says the fully integrated system offers:
• Push-button robotic imaging with no dilation required
• Lightweight, portable camera designed for true point-of-care use
• Multilingual patient guidance to reach diverse communities
• Specialist multi-condition grading including diabetic retinopathy and beyond
• Seamless integration with all major U.S. EHR systems
• Scalable analytics to support population health programs
