Project Grant R43EY029906

The National Eye Institute (NEI) has awarded a $237,996 Project Grant (CFDA 93.867 Vision Research) to the University of Colorado to investigate groundbreaking approaches for in-vivo high-resolution imaging of fine corneal structures. The project aims to develop a speckle illumination holographic imaging system with the capability to capture 3D information and polarization-sensitive data across the full width and depth of the cornea. This new imaging technique is intended to overcome limitations...

The National Eye Institute (NEI) awarded a $225,772 Project Grant (CFDA 93.867 - Vision Research) to The Research Foundation For The State University Of New York, doing business as Stony Brook University, to develop a terahertz time-domain spectroscopy (THz-TDS) imaging system that can accurately measure and map corneal hydration gradients. The project aims to: Determine the accuracy of the THz-TDS corneal scanner in measuring hydration levels in corneal phantoms and ex vivo models. Evaluate the...

The National Eye Institute (NEI) awarded a $412,285 Project Grant under the Vision Research program (CFDA 93.867) to Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) to validate an advanced transepithelial corneal collagen crosslinking (CXL) technology. The goal is to develop a more effective CXL procedure that can strengthen the cornea without requiring removal of the surface epithelium, which often leads to complications. The key products and services to be delivered include: Constructing an...

The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) awarded a $1,683,996 Project Grant under the "Discovery and Applied Research for Technological Innovations to Improve Human Health" (CFDA 93.286) program to the University of Colorado for the development of a novel 3D Dynamic Contrast Optical Coherence Microscopy (3D DYC-OCM) technology. The project aims to overcome limitations in existing OCM architectures by developing a swept-source design and a scalable...

The University of California, Irvine was awarded a $431,750 Project Grant under the National Eye Institute's (NEI) Vision Research program (CFDA 93.867) to develop a novel, femtosecond (FS) laser-based approach for transepithelial gene delivery to the cornea. The project aims to create microchannels through the corneal epithelium to enhance permeability, and then use subthreshold FS laser pulses to open temporary pores in stromal cells without causing damage, enabling the delivery of therapeutic...

The National Eye Institute (NEI) under the Vision Research federal grant program (CFDA 93.867) awarded a $256,296 Project Grant (R21EY037019) to The General Hospital Corporation (Massachusetts General Hospital) to develop new optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) technology to improve the imaging of retinal microvasculature. The project aims to create a high-speed adaptive ranging OCTA system by leveraging advances in integrated photonics to expand the imaging depth range of OCTA,...

The National Eye Institute (NEI) awarded a $430,479 Project Grant (CFDA 93.867 - Vision Research) to The Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford University) to develop and test an intraocular projection system that can be implanted in the eye to restore vision in patients with severe corneal injuries or damage. The project aims to build and implant various prototype lenticule implants in rabbits to study their long-term stability, power usage, and safety. The final phase will involve...

The National Science Foundation (NSF) awarded a $274,416 Project Grant under the NSF Technology, Innovation, and Partnerships program (CFDA 47.084) to Biolattice Ophthalmics, Inc. (doing business as Biolattice LLC) on December 1, 2023. The award supports the development of a novel acellular polymer membrane for use as a cornea substitute, with the goal of providing a true alternative to donor cornea for full thickness cornea replacement. The artificial cornea aims to offer a biocompatible,...

This federal Project Grant award from the National Eye Institute (NEI) under the Vision Research program (CFDA 93.867) provides $881,796 to Siloam Vision, Inc. to develop two advanced, laser-based, AI-enabled retinal imaging systems. The key innovations are: A wider field-of-view camera design that can be paired with either a scanning laser ophthalmoscope (SLO) or optical coherence tomography (OCT) system, offering 2D or 3D imaging, respectively. This aims to address an unmet need in retinopathy...

This Project Grant award from the National Eye Institute (NEI) under the Vision Research program (CFDA 93.867) supports the development of a robotically-aligned optical coherence tomography (RAOCT) system capable of automatically measuring a retinal biomarker, the outer nuclear layer (ONL) thickness, which cannot be reliably identified using standard OCT devices. The $215,454 award to Duke University aims to leverage the micrometer-scale control of the RAOCT system's sample beam to enable...