The applicant firm proposes the development of a portable digital stereo fundus camera. The proposed camera would enhance the quality and economies of screening and providing care for degenerative diseases of the retina and choroid. The camera will be evaluated for diagnostic screening of retinal detachments, diabetic retinopathy, retinal holes, epiretinal membranes, retinalblastomas, ocular tumors, retinopathy of prematurity and glaucomatist optic disc cupping. The proposed research will result in the development of a pre-product prototype unit that achieves high resolution digital stereo fundus imaging in a hand held unit. During the Phase II research an initial prototype camera will be developed and tested by imaging a model eye and one hundred human patients. Results of this study will be used to determine necessary modifications to the camera design. These changes will be implemented and a pre-product prototype will be fabricated and tested. In a second clinical study patients from remote sites will be imaged with the camera and images transmitted to the University of California Davis Medical Center for evaluation. Ophthalmic specialists will evaluate the camera's effectiveness in a clinical setting and its usefulness in the clinical acquisition of images onsite and digital transmission to off site locations.
A large commercial market exists for application of the proposed instrument in screening and treatment of diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, and other vascular diseases of the retina. Applications include clinical and telemedicine sites at prisons, nursing homes, military sites, and retirement communities, and Native American reservations.
