Vestibular telemedicine – outsourced examinations to the patient himself
Dizziness is a complex, individual symptom with numerous potential causes. Most common are episodic disturbances affecting the peripheral or central balance systems. For example, BPPV, non-BPPV positional vertigo, vestibular migraine, Meniere’s disease, and vestibular neuritis. Primary and secondary functional dizziness, cases lacking a clear physical cause, are also very frequent. It is particularly common for dizziness to stem from a combination of multiple underlying factors.
Furthermore, a patient’s symptoms often manifest outside of standard clinic hours, or at times when logistical constraints make an in-person clinical examination impossible.
By enabling patients to document their own eye movements during episodes of dizziness, clinicians can capture the right moment for diagnosis. This significantly enhances the understanding of the actual underlying causes or conditions present at the time of the event. Only in this way is it possible to effectively distinguish between the various complex causes.
The Vertigocatcher telemedicine value chain has been in clinical use for over seven years, with the project’s objective being to provide advanced telemedicine at a low cost. To comply with Swedish legal requirements and the Medical Device Regulation (MDR), the hardware and software received CE certification in 2024, establishing them as a commercial product within the EU healthcare sector.
The value chain consists of 3 parts
- Nystagmocatcher® is an optical medical device adapter for mobile phones. It prevents voluntary visual fixation and converts the phone into digital Frenzel goggles, with the added capability of storing video-recorded diagnostic findings. Under specific conditions, video clips can also be transmitted online. Nystagmocatcher serves as a cost-effective alternative to traditional Frenzel goggles, while offering significantly higher image quality.
- Vertigocatcher® is a cloud-based service designed for logistics and communication. It allows recorded video clips to be transmitted and reviewed online, and facilitates chat-based communication between healthcare providers and patients. The service enables the storage and organization of data. Each new video clip or text message triggers a notification via email or SMS. The system complies with GDPR privacy regulations. Both healthcare providers and patients authenticate their identity using Swedish BankID.
- Various support features guide the patient through a 5-minute standardized vestibular examination, during which one eye is recorded on video. The presence of spontaneous, gaze-evoked, positional, and head-shaking nystagmus is documented. Additionally, a visual suppression test is performed. Examination instructions are provided via an audio file; for this, the patient uses an external audio source—such as a separate mobile phone, tablet, or computer—distinct from the phone used for recording. Currently, recorded instructions are available in eight European languages.
With Nystagmocatcher in your practice you can:
- Lend the Nystagmocatcher to selected patients for self-documentation of eye movements during episodes of dizziness. Through information provided in the written manual and via QR codes, patients are prepared to conduct self-examinations of their own vestibular system.
- Use the Nystagmocatcher in conjunction with a clinic-owned mobile phone to examine symptomatic patients—facilitated by a nurse, physiotherapist, or physician, even those without specialized expertise in vestibular disorders. The examiner follows audio instructions to perform a standardized vestibular examination. The recorded video captures the patient’s vestibular status at the time of the examination, and the data is automatically saved on the clinic’s mobile device.
- Use the Nystagmocatcher in connection with video consultations.
After the examination is completed:
(Option 1) You may choose to analyze the eye movements from the recorded video yourself.
(Option 2) If the patient resides in Sweden you may choose to send the video to us via our GDPR -compliant cloud service for assessment, diagnosis, and treatment recommendations, provided within the same business day. Following the submission of a video, we will provide feedback, including our analysis, diagnosis, and suggested treatment or next steps, sent either to your clinic or directly to the patient.
Request more information
Contact us for more information, a quote for a starter kit of 5 Nystagmocatchers, or a Power Point presentation. info@yrselcenter.se