This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project proposes to develop a MEMS wavefront correction device for ophthalmic adaptive optics. The use of adaptive optics in ophthalmics shows great promise, but the lack of suitable cost-effective solutions has hindered the advance of research and the development of associated commercial markets. The proposed work will leverage the most sophisticated surface micromachining technology available to design and deliver, for the first time, a MEMS wavefront correction chip that addresses all of the requirements specified by the vision science community.
The commercial application of this project will be in the area of ophthalmology. Ophthalmic equipment suppliers need low cost wavefront correction devices for use in next generation phoropters and autorefractors, LASIK preview systems, and high resolution fundus imaging systems. The ophthalmic market for low cost wavefront correction devices, once such devices are available, is projected to be at least $20 million per year. Such devices may also have utility outside of ophthalmics. Optical coherence tomography, confocal microscopy, portable military imaging systems, free space optical communication systems, and semiconductor lithography are other potential application areas for wavefront correction devices.
