Fiscal Year:
2007
Title:
Functional-retinal Imaging Device for the detection of glaucoma
Agency:
HHS
Contract:
1R43EY018523-01
Award Amount:
$149,282.00
Abstract:
DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The objective of this grant is to develop and demonstrate a new device, based on a scanning laser ophthalmoscope, for functional imaging of the retina. Two prototype devices based on flood illumination fundus cameras ha
ve been developed and tested on both human subjects and animal models (cats and monkeys). Preliminary results of experiments conducted on both cameras are presented. Briefly, a functional signal is detected with both devices. To improve the signal to noise
ratio a new functional-Retinal Imaging Device (fRID) is proposed. In Phase I the device will be tested on animals only. The grant will process the functional images using both standard methods that remove an average or baseline image; then we calculate ch
anges from the baseline. Additionally, we have developed techniques that use blind source separation methods and independent component analysis as more sophisticated tools to extract the low level signals from the background reflectance of the retina. Thes
e techniques have been applied in the analysis of functional signals from brain scans using functional MRI. The application of the clinical device will be in the early detection of loss of retinal function due to diseases such as glaucoma, which is a chron
ic degenerative disease of the retinal ganglion cells. Glaucoma afflicts about 3 million Americans and of those, up to 120,000 may be legally blind. Unfortunately, treatment to patients suffering from glaucoma may be delayed due to the inability of current
devices to detect nerve fiber loss in the early stages of glaucoma. The proposed device will be designed for early detection of retinal function in localized areas of the entire retina. The proposed device will provide a new diagnostic for early detectio
n of glaucoma in the more than three million americans afflicted with this eye disease. The functional-Retinal Imaging Device (f-RID) will offer an image of the retina showing local areas of reduce visual function in a highly sensitive manner.
Small Business Information at Submission:
VISIONQUEST BIOMEDICAL
4801 Lang Ave NE, Ste 110 ALBUQUERQUE, NM 87109
EIN/Tax ID:
120228556
DUNS:
N/A
Number of Employees:
N/A
Woman-Owned:
No
Minority-Owned:
No
HUBZone-Owned:
No