Opportunities
Visual Field Mapping
The Technology
Visual field mapping is used in the diagnosis and monitoring of a number of conditions including glaucoma, macular degeneration, brain/eye tumours and retinal detachment. Traditional methods involve the use of an instrument that maps visual field by measuring the response of patients to peripheral light stimuli whilst focusing on a fixed reference point of light. This requires the patient to concentrate for several minutes at a time, which is especially difficult in children, the elderly or those with a visual impairment. A team of leading consultant ophthalmologists and clinical engineers in a Merseyside Trust have developed a computer-based tool for measuring visual field. The tool uses a novel methodology for measuring visual field and does not require the patient to concentrate on a fixed point of light. Measurements may be obtained more frequently and potentially with greater accuracy than standard methods.
The Advantages
- A simple test that does not require lengthy periods of concentration.
- Allows for more frequent testing and more patients may be tested.
- Potentially produces more accurate results than standard methods.
The Potential Market
The computer-based visual mapping tool will hopefully allow a greater opportunity for the early diagnosis of ophthalmology diseases within the general population, as it is thought that eventually the device will be made available to high street opticians.
The Opportunities
We are looking for a commercial partner with an interest in the further development of the tool, in the first instance, and then possibly the manufacture and marketing of the device.
The Contact
For more information about this or other technologies available for commercialisation through TrusTECH, contact:
TrusTECH
The Innovation Unit
1st Floor, Postgraduate Centre
Manchester Royal Infirmary
Manchester
M13 9WL
T: 0161 276 5764