Researchers from MIT University have transformed smart phone Nexus One into the tool of the oculist. As reported in the news release, the Google's smartphone can be used to identify and measure the degree of nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism.

The special mechanism NETRA has been created for this purpose. It represents the plastic nozzle equipped with small lenses. It is put on the screen of the smart phone and focuses the image used for diagnosing of the patient. The whole procedure takes less than two minutes, after which a specially developed software will give results of the study.

The developers expect that this decision could be used in those regions where the population does not have possibility to pass test at the oculist with use of the modern equipment. According to the MIT staff, the cost of manufacturing the nozzle is about 1-2 dollars and can be reduced to a few cents since the beginning of mass production.

Currently scientists prepare for carrying out of clinical tests of the working out. However preliminary check of t echnology on group of 20 persons has shown that it yields the results comparable to diagnostics of sight by means of specialised aberrometer.

Scientists have already applied for a patent with the description of new technology.