Sunday, May 25, 2025
5/25/2025
Low Cost Device for Detection of Retinal Disease - ¿ DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The overall goal of the proposed SBIR program is to commercialize the flexible Digital Light Ophthalmoscope Stimulator (DLO-S) for fundus imaging that is simultaneous with the presentation of visual stimuli. This mode of operation provides accurate retinal localization during visual function assessment. Low vision, due to retinal disease, brain, and other visual pathway damage, is on the increase worldwide. Retinal disease often goes undetected until vision is lost, and rehabilitation with vision aids is more difficult ad less successful with increasing vision loss. Localizing the retinal damage, when present, and more accurately determining the functional vision of patients, may help optimize the selection of vision aids. Although the stability of gaze affects case management, it is not commonly measured accurately in comparison to retinal damage. The DLO-S will map fixation stability and defects in central vision, e.g. in age-related macular degeneration and macular edema. Aeon's goal is to help provide cost effective eye care by putting non-mydriatic DLO imaging technology into the hands of clinicians and rehabilitation specialists not limited to ophthalmic practices. Th DLO can use long wavelength light for fundus illumination and imaging, which has been well-used for viewing and retinal tracking. Aeon will build on the Phase II DLO imager to transfer the flexible method of illuminating the fundus for retinal imaging and simultaneously presenting visual stimuli via inexpensive Digital Light Projector technology. Projectors provide stimuli with decreased temporal and spatial artifacts compared with CRT of LCD displays, while allowing a much larger range of stimulus intensity. Further, the optical design allows for non-mydriatic imaging and for all the light from the stimuli to enter the pupil, reducing artifacts from peripherl stimuli. We plan 3 Aims. In Aim 1 we will optimize a single channel DLO-S for measuring fixation stability and scotoma mapping, and validate the DLO against a commercially available device, the Nidek MP-1. Subjects will include normal subjects, patients with retinal disease that leads to diffuse loss or only small scotomas, and low vision patients with macular scotomas. In Aim 2 we will build a 2 DLP DLO, the research DLO-S: one DLP used for the imaging channel and a second for a highly flexible display, offering an exceptionally large range of light levels and colors. The imaging channel DLP will include a near infrared light source to provide a dim background. Subjects will include the same types for validation against the MP-1 for fixation stability and scotoma mapping. In Aim 3 we will adapt the DLO-S into an instrument for both low vision research and broader visual psychophysics by providing a programmable software interface for vision researchers. This will provide the potential for increased access to useful tools for rehabilitation to increase the numbers and variety of care providers, not limited to individuals in high end eye care practices. This also could underpin a reduction in costs for vision research.
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