Retinopathy software gets funding boost

 Digital Healthcare, Cambridge-based manufacturers of ophthalmic and diabetic retinopathy software, have just announced that they have received £3m of funding from numerous venture capital and private equity firms.

Rob Stichbury, MD of Digital Healthcare, spoke of his delight at the funding, which will be coming from Albany Ventures, Elaia Partners, Sitka Partners and YFM Private Equity. "For our customers this commitment comes at an important time to support the many large schemes in the UK and US which are deploying DH’s iP platform."

Stichbury added: "We aim to provide our customers with outstanding technology solutions and support services as the business develops and grows."

Digital Healthcare are collaborating with Graphnet to provide digital retinopathy screening that links in with GP patient records held on Graphnet software. The company is also involved in creating digital reading centre applications for online retinal screening. According to company figures, around 300,000 patients every year are screened using its software.

John Morrison, director of UK-based new technology investor Albany Futures, said: "Digital Healthcare’s novel technology and committed team represent a significant opportunity to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare delivery to patients at risk from retinopathy, advanced macular degeneration, glaucoma and other increasingly common eye diseases."

In April 2003, the then health minister David Lammy announced the allocation of £27m towards purchasing screen systems to detect early onset of retinal deterioration in diabetics. The aim is to equip every primary care trust in England with screening equipment by 2007.

NHS Scotland signed a nationwide deal with Siemens earlier this year to provide a web-based infrastructure to transfer retinal images to ‘graders’ who can judge whether a patient’s scan has any casuse for concern.