In India, uncorrected refractive errors affect over 50 million people (including more than 10 million children) making it one of the leading causes of avoidable visual impairments in the country. (1)
Over 70% of India’s rural areas lack access to basic eye screening services; often less than one optometrist per 50,000 people. Screening is therefore limited to urban centres that have the ability to procure and maintain costly equipment. The high cost, and low portability of conventional equipment, coupled with environmental constraints (and the absence of scalable solutions) further limits outreach and early detection of refractive errors.
In an effort to bridge these gaps, the team at the LVPEI Center for Technology Innovation (CFTI) created a tool to screen refractive errors without the need for ophthalmologists or advanced equipment.
Designed for portability, accuracy, and accessibility—FoFo (phonetically derived from ‘Folding Phoropter’), is a foldable, paper-based refractive error screening device that enables effective eye screenings at even the most remote regions of India!
- Inspired by the Japanese art of Origami, FoFo folds flat to fit into a pocket or envelope, and assembles quickly on-site.
- It is colorful, and therefore inviting & child-friendly; ideal for screening in schools and community settings.
- It operates without electricity or batteries—perfect for remote or low-resource settings.
- Produced at a fraction of the cost of traditional phoropters, large scale distribution of FoFo is both feasible and affordable.
In a bid to enhance FoFo’s durability and usability in diverse field conditions, the team at CFTI is currently working on a waterproof upgrade to the current design.
The L V Prasad Eye Institute was honored with the ‘FTCCI Excellence Award 2025’ by the Federation of Telangana Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FTCCI) in the category of ‘Excellence in Healthcare Innovation’. The award was presented by Shri Jishnu Dev Varma, Hon’ble Governor of Telangana, at the ceremony held on July 8, 2025 in Hyderabad.
The award is credited to the invention and applicability of the Folding Phoropter (FoFo), developed at the LVPEI Centre for Technology Innovation (CFTI)
LVPEI owes this award to the many individuals and institutions who make such innovations possible; clinicians, scientists & researchers, engineers, community health workers, technicians, support staff, alumni, collaborators, and donors. Every win affirms the pursuit of advancing science and technology that is grounded in the realities of those who are most vulnerable to preventable and avoidable blindness. We are grateful to the FTCCI for recognizing the role of healthcare innovation in enabling vision equity.
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(1) [Sheeladevi S, Seelam B, Nukella PB, Modi A, Ali R, Keay L. Prevalence of refractive errors in children in India: a systematic review. Clin Exp Optom. 2018 Jul;101(4):495-503. doi: 10.1111/cxo.12689. Epub 2018 Apr 22. PMID: 29682791.
Naidoo KS, Jaggernath J. Uncorrected refractive errors. Indian J Ophthalmol. 2012 Sep-Oct;60(5):432-7. doi: 10.4103/0301-4738.100543. PMID: 22944755; PMCID: PMC3491271.]
