I-Corps: Image processing software and slit lamp device for use in optometry

I-Corps项目更广泛的影响/商业潜力是智能裂隙灯的开发。在临床验光中，使用裂隙灯显微镜是必不可少的。每年约有1.04亿人使用裂隙灯进行常规眼科检查。在专业设备的存在下，裂隙灯因其灵活性仍被全球验光师广泛使用。使用该设备可以进行许多测试，然而，由于其在临床实践中耗时的性质，目前进行的测试数量有限。提出的智能狭缝灯装置可以让验光师在更短的时间内进行多次测试，并有助于识别和诊断目前使用传统人工分析无法观察到的疾病。提出的智能狭缝灯可能为改善眼睛保健和进一步研究验光领域提供途径。I-Corps项目的基础是开发用于验光的裂隙灯的成像技术和图像分析软件。在验光中，裂隙灯显微镜是用来观察人眼内部的基本设备。验光师、眼科医生和眼库技术人员经常使用这些显微镜来观察人眼不同部位的健康状况。目前的裂隙灯有两种形式：模拟和数字。然而，目前的裂隙灯不提供图像分析软件或自动化。该技术旨在提供一种同时具备成像和图像分析能力，操作更加自动化的数字裂隙灯，减少人为干预，节省时间，同时使诊断更加客观。初步研究表明，该技术可以提供一致、准确和客观的测量方法，从而改善眼部护理。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of a smart slit lamp. In clinical optometry, the use of slit-lamp microscopes is indispensable. Approximately 104 million regular eye exams are performed annually using a slit lamp. In the presence of specialized devices, the slit lamp is still widely used by optometrists across the globe for its flexibility. There are many tests that can be performed using the device, however, due to its time-consuming nature in clinical practice the number of tests performed is currently limited. The proposed smart slit-lamp device may allow optometrists to perform multiple tests in a much shorter time and help to identify and diagnose diseases that are not currently being observed using traditional manual analysis. The proposed smart slit lamp may provide access to improved eye care and further research in the field of optometry. This I-Corps project is based on the development of imaging technologies and image analysis software for slit lamps used in optometry. In optometry, the slit lamp microscope is an essential device that is used to look at the interior of the human eye. Optometrists, ophthalmologists, and eye bank technicians use these microscopes regularly to observe the health of different parts of the human eye. Current slit lamps come in two forms: analog and digital. However, current slit lamps do not provide image analysis software or automation. The proposed technology is designed to provide a digital slit lamp with both imaging and image analysis capabilities and more automatic operation, which may minimize human intervention and save time while making the diagnosis more objective. Preliminary work has shown that the proposed technology may provide a consistent, accurate, and objective measure that will lead to improved eye care.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.