Toku has received CE and UKCA marks for its artificial intelligence (AI) technology, CLAiR, designed for cardiovascular risk assessments through retinal imaging.

CLAiR offers a precise, cost-effective and non-invasive method for evaluating the risk of CVD in the point-of-care setting.

The technology leverages retinal images collected during a routine eye examination.

The retina, situated at the back of the eye, is uniquely accessible for non-invasive photography.

CLAiR merges with current retinal cameras, offering real-time CVD risk evaluations with a precision accuracy comparable to gold-standard methods, which often depend on blood tests and can take weeks to process.

Furthermore, the AI-powered technology can detect increased cardiovascular risk by analysing subtle variations in the retina and its blood vessels.

The insights obtained from CLAiR can be promptly shared with a patient’s primary care physician, enabling timely and complete cardiovascular evaluations that are crucial for prevention strategies.

Retinal imaging is a common procedure in many eye care practices and is becoming more widespread in pharmacies and primary care clinics throughout the UK and the European Union.

With the introduction of CLAiR, healthcare providers in these settings will be able to identify increased cardiovascular risk in adult patients who have no previous diagnosis of CVD.

CLAiR will also enable healthcare providers in various settings to identify elevated cardiovascular risk in adult patients with no known history of cardiovascular ailment.

Toku CEO associate professor Ehsan Vaghefi said: “I believe that a retinal image can be considered the ‘fifth vital’ along with temperature, heart rate, respiration rate, and blood pressure.

“The CE and UKCA marks allow us to bring CLAiR to patients across multiple geographies. In my vision of the future, a retinal image analysis is an integral part of a comprehensive screening for major diseases such as cardiovascular or kidney disease.”