Abstract
In response to a new coronavirus (COVID-19), many institutions and companies are forced to implement remote working. As a result, use of visual display terminals are increasing which is one of the risk factors of dry eye disease. Since dry eye is a chronic disease of tear fluid and the keratoconjunctival epithelium, eye self-care practices in daily life are important to prevent dry eye. Assessment of tear film is indispensable for diagnosing dry eye, but precise evaluation is difficult because of the tiny amount and transparency of tears. The clinical slit-lamp biomicroscopy is used for observing tear film by instilling fluorescein into tears. Recently, tear film interferometry is also used to obtain interferometric image without using fluorescein. It can also provide an useful information of tear film lipid layer dynamics. However, the devices are only available in the medical office and therefore gives limited access to the general public. Observation of tear film regardless of location, time or environment can be beneficial not only for healthcare professionals but also for patients. In this study, a device for self-checking the tear film was developed and its feasibility was investigated for the use in the daily life routine to prevent dry eyes.
