Zack Dvey-Aharon

More than half of people living with diabetes are at risk of losing their eyesight due to complications from a disease called diabetic retinopathy. That’s about 500 million people globally, and 40 million in the U.S. The condition is almost fully preventable if detected in time, but estimates suggest only half of those people get the necessary annual screening.

A new AI-powered screening system by AEYE Health, a company co-founded by Zack Dvey-Aharon, reduces diagnosis of diabetic retinopathy to a minute, via a handheld camera and a single image of each retina — all without the need for a physician in the loop. 

The system, called AEYE-DS, received FDA approval in April, after rigorous testing to ensure it worked across a range of demographics and situations. It is the first FDA-approved device of its kind. Its low cost and portability could make this screening accessible to millions of people who need it, starting in America. It is currently in use in hundreds of locations across the country.

In a conversation with TIME, Dvey-Aharon said that, since receiving FDA clearance, AEYE Health was working with partners to significantly expand the technology’s availability. These screenings can also be claimed back from insurance.

Screening for diabetic retinopathy is only the start of what AEYE Health’s systems hope to achieve. Dvey-Aharon’s company is working on using AI to screen for a wider range of conditions, including cardiovascular disease, glaucoma, and hypertension. Retinal scans are particularly useful for medical diagnosis, Dvey-Aharon explains, because the eyes offer “a direct view to blood vessels.”