OIS also announced that it has received three significant commitments to purchase OIN services. OIN is a proprietary telemedicine system that offers physicians a protocol for efficiently evaluating a patient's retinal status. Computerized retinal images are captured locally in the physician's own office and are electronically transmitted to the OIN Reading Center, where they are analyzed by trained OIN readers. The results are returned to the physician for diagnostic evaluation. The OIN procedure is aimed at the early detection of diabetic retinopathy among diabetic patients of which there are 12 million in the United States.
Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness in working individuals in America.
The procedure is fast and comfortable for the patient and provides the physician with tools to facilitate medical screening and treatment. OIS is currently piloting the new Ophthalmic Imaging Network program in conjunction with Kaiser Permanente of Northern California which serves the health care needs of 2.5 million voluntarily enrolled members. Founded in 1945, Kaiser Permanente is the world's largest non-profit health maintenance organization. Health Protection Inc. plans to install OIN Imaging Stations in its locations throughout Northern California beginning this month. At full implementation, OIN services will be made available to several thousand diabetics at multiple locations throughout the covered area.