NON-INVASIVE DETECTION OF GLAUCOMA: PHASE I

THE LONG TERM GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS THE DEVELOPMENT OF HARDWARE WHICH WILL APPLY NEW TECHNOLOGIES OF IMAGE DIGITIZATION AND PROCESSING TO PROBLEMS OF EARLY DIAGNOSIS OF GLAUCOMA OR RELATED OPTIC NERVE ATROPHY. SPECIFICALLY, THE FIRST GOAL IS TO DEMONSTRATE THE FEASIBILITY OF DIGITIZING RADIAL SECTIONS OF FUNDUS PHOTOGRAPHS (STEREO PAIRS) USING ONE DIMENSIONAL, LINEAR CHARGE COUPLED DEVICE (CCD) ARRAYS. THE RESULTING DIGITAL DATA ARRAY WILL BE COMPUTER PROCESSED TO GENERATE A TOPOGRAPHIC PROFILE OF THE OPTIC NERVE AT THE POSITION ANGLE OF INTEREST FOR THE INDIVIDUAL EYE UNDER EXAMINATION. THE SECOND MAJOR GOAL IS TO REFINE THE METHODOLOGY TO THE EXTENT THAT A COMPACT CCD DETECTOR/MICROCOMPUTER PROCESSOR CAN BE PACKAGED FOR COMMERCIALIZATION, THE EXPECTATION BEING THAT READY AVAILABILITY OF SUCH A UNIT CAN MAKE POSSIBLE FREQUENT, INEXPENSIVE, AND QUANTITATIVE EXAMINATIONS FOR THE EARLY DETECTION AND PROGRESSIVE ANALYSIS OF GLAUCOMATOUS DECAY OF THE OPTIC NERVE. IT IS WIDELY RECOGNIZED THAT THIS CAPABILITY IS CRUCIAL IN ARRESTING THE ONSET OF GLAUCOMA INDUCED BLINDNESS.