DIAGNOS Rolls Out AI Eye Screening to More Than 60 Canadian Optometrists

Eye care in Canada just took a quiet but notable step into AI-assisted screening. DIAGNOS, a Quebec health technology company, says its CARA eye screening system is now in use with more than 60 optometrists across the country, after a first deployment phase that set up 28 stores in just two weeks. The rollout follows a Health Canada medical device licence granted earlier this year, and the company says it now plans to extend the system to clinics in every province. For patients, the change will mostly show up as a faster, more detailed eye exam, and for clinics it is a test of how far AI analysis can go inside an ordinary practice.

What DIAGNOS announced

DIAGNOS announced the milestone on October 20, 2026, from its base in Brossard, Quebec. According to the company, the first phase of its nationwide deployment is complete, and the CARA system is now running in its Canadian optometry network. That speed matters, since a screening tool only helps if clinics can adopt it without long disruption.

The announcement builds on an earlier regulatory step. DIAGNOS received a Health Canada medical device licence for CARA on July 23, 2026, and announced it on July 27. The company describes CARA as one of the first Canadian AI retinal image analysis platforms built specifically for optometrists to receive a Class II medical device licence in Canada. That licence covers commercial use in Canadian optometry practices, which made the October rollout possible.

DIAGNOS chief executive Andre Larente said the feedback from optometrists and clinic staff so far supports the company’s aim of combining regulatory standards with faster care. In the company’s announcement, he said the team is now determined to pursue its rollout strategy to equip clinics across all Canadian provinces. That wording is a plan, not a completed fact, and the provinces covered so far have not been broken out in the announcement.

How CARA works in the clinic

CARA is software that analyses retinal images, the photographs taken of the back of the eye during an eye exam. An optometrist captures a fundus photograph, which is the standard image of the retina, and CARA processes it to highlight features that may point to eye disease. The system is built around several modules, each aimed at a different part of that analysis.

The modules include CARA-AMDdetect, for signs linked to age-related macular degeneration, and CARA-DR, for signs linked to diabetic retinopathy. Another module, CARA-MVA, looks at retinal microvascular patterns, while CARA-Enhancement improves the image itself so details are easier to read. A Clinician WorkSpace lets the optometrist add annotations and review the findings. Together, the modules aim to pull more usable information from each photograph than a quick visual check alone might catch.

One point the company stresses is control. According to DIAGNOS, the optometrist stays in full control of every clinical decision, with CARA supplying analysis and objective measurements rather than making a diagnosis on its own. That distinction matters for a screening tool: it is designed to support the clinician’s judgment, not to replace the exam or the follow-up care a flagged result may require.

Why the pace of the rollout matters

Setting up 28 stores in two weeks is the number DIAGNOS chose to headline, and it is worth pausing on why. Rolling out medical software across independent clinics is usually slow work. Each site needs installation, staff training, and a workflow that fits around booked appointments. A two-week burst across 28 stores suggests the company has worked out an onboarding routine it can repeat, which is exactly what a nationwide plan needs.

The reported reaction from clinics is positive, though it comes with the usual caveat: it is the company’s own account of early feedback, not an independent study. Participating clinics pointed to the system’s interface, the precision of its AI-assisted retinal image analysis, and its processing speed, according to DIAGNOS. Clinics also reported positive patient feedback, driven by the speed and efficiency of the AI-enhanced assessments. Readers should treat those descriptions as early impressions from a first phase, not as measured proof of better health outcomes.

The broader context helps explain the interest. Eye conditions such as diabetic retinopathy can develop without obvious symptoms, which is why regular exams and early detection matter. A tool that helps a busy clinic review retinal images faster could, in principle, make screening more consistent, but that will need results across many more clinics over a longer period.

What this does not change

It is easy to overread a rollout announcement, so a few limits are worth stating plainly. CARA does not turn an optometry visit into a fully automated check. Patients still need an appointment, a trained professional still examines them, and any finding still needs clinical judgment and, where needed, referral. The system analyses images; it does not replace the rest of eye care.

The announcement does not include pricing, clinic-by-clinic locations, or patient outcome data, and this article does not fill those gaps with guesses. Canadians who want to know whether a nearby clinic uses CARA will need to ask the clinic directly, since no public clinic list was included. And while the company aims to reach every province, that expansion is still ahead of it, so availability will vary by region for some time.

Still, the story is a useful marker for Canadian health technology. A home-grown AI system has moved from licence to live use in real clinics, at a pace its maker calls rapid, and the next phase will show whether that pace holds.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the CARA system?

CARA is a software platform from Quebec company DIAGNOS that uses artificial intelligence to analyse retinal photographs taken during an eye exam. Its modules cover age-related macular degeneration signs, diabetic retinopathy signs, microvascular analysis, and image enhancement, plus a workspace for the optometrist to review findings.

Is CARA approved for use in Canada?

According to DIAGNOS, the company received a Health Canada medical device licence for CARA on July 23, 2026, and announced it on July 27, 2026. The company describes it as one of the first Canadian AI retinal image analysis platforms built for optometrists to receive a Class II licence. The licence covers commercial use in Canadian optometry practices.

Does CARA replace the optometrist?

No. DIAGNOS says the optometrist remains in full control of every clinical decision, with CARA supplying analysis to support that judgment. A screening result still needs a clinician’s interpretation, and any concern found during an exam still needs the usual follow-up care.