Confocal and Autofluorescence Imaging of Macular Degeneration using a Low Cost Digital Imager

Project SummaryAbstract The overall goal of the proposed SBIR Phase II research is to build and evaluate a low costmulti mode retinal camera used to detect and manage causes of macular impairmentAge related macular degenerationAMDremains the most common cause of permanent vision loss in the US and many industrialized countriesTreatments with portable lasers and injectable drugs can save sightbut early detection and careful monitoring is essential to help maintain visual acuity and avoid over treating with injectablesSpecialized imaging techniquessuch as optical coherence tomographyOCTand autofluorescenceAFimaginghave been developed that provide better detection of key lesions than flood illuminated color fundus photographybut is not available to all due to their high costThis creates a scarcity of OCT and AF imaging equipment at primary care and non specialty eye clinicswhich forces many elderly patients to travel to tertiary centers to obtain monitoring and treatmentIn this Phase II proposalAeon builds on a successful Phase I project by enhancing its novel Digital Light OphthalmoscopeDLOfor the multimodal detection of lesions associated with age related macular degenerationAMDSpecificallywe will incorporate a custom near infraredNIRillumination module to perform multiply scattered light imaging for the detection of disruptions in the RPE layer such as drusenAimWe will also develop and test a novel and cost effective structured light imaging method to create en face depth sectioned images of the retinagenerating coarse topographic measurements of retinal thickness and height that will be suitable for the detection of treatable exudationAimThe location of drusen and thickness of exudative regions will be evaluated in patients with AMDplus retinal degenerations and diabetesandnormal subjectsthen compared to SD OCTAimFinallyimages will be taken of the same subjects using Aeonandapos s Phase I autofluorescence systemDLO AFand compared to OCT to determine the cost benefit of incorporating autofluorescenceAFimaging functionality into our DLO systemThe aging of the population make the need for lower cost but high quality products an urgent oneAeon Imaging LLCin partnership with the Indiana University School of Optometryis addressing the public health challenge of providing eye care to the elderly and underserved by developing cost effective cameras that can be readily used in small practicessatellite officesor with internet based telemedicine platforms Project NarrativeEYAeon ImagingLLCwill build and test a low cost retinal camera that uses novel technology based on digital light projectionto provide detection of age related macular degenerationAdvanced imaging techniquesincluding scattered light imaging and fundus autofluorescence imagingwill be implemented in a design optimized for the eyes of older patientsThe novel camera has a design that provides high contrast images with a cost and footprint aimed at reducing barriers to early diagnosis and careful monitoring