Brillouin optical eye scanner prototypes for commercialization

摘要 该STTR项目的总体目标是将一种新型的光学眼睛扫描设备商业化，该设备能够 通过布里渊光散射测量组织的生物力学特性。布里渊技术 在皮尤的实验室发明的这项技术在改善视力的诊断和治疗方面显示出了广阔的潜力 精神错乱。目前实验室系统获得的临床数据显示角膜僵硬改变。 由圆锥角膜、胶原蛋白交联和角膜切除术引起。为了将这一有希望的东西商业化 技术，这个快速通道项目通过专注于 在小型化、降低成本和制造兼容性方面，与 发明家的实验室和一个衍生的初创公司，由一个经验丰富的眼科设备团队领导 工业。第一阶段之前被资助开发一种频率稳定的激光光源，减少了 自发辐射噪声(已成功完成)。第二阶段将利用这一创新开发和 测试桌面阿尔法原型(AIM II-1)，然后构建可移植的测试版原型(AIM II-2)。这个 样机的功能性、可靠性和可操作性将在眼睛的临床试验中得到验证 医院为各种临床病例，包括圆锥角膜病例，屈光手术前和术后病例， 以及胶原蛋白交联剂前后的情况。这一项目的成功完成将对 将布里渊显微镜从学术界转移到医疗器械行业，并将加速 将组织生物力学评估转化为临床实践。最终，成功的 体内布里渊成像的商业化将通过改善 各种视力问题的诊断、干预和外科治疗。

ABSTRACT The overall goal of this STTR project is to commercialize a novel optical eye scanner device capable of measuring the biomechanical properties of tissues via Brillouin light scattering. The Brillouin technology invented in the co-PI’s lab has shown broad potential for improving the diagnosis and treatment of vision disorders. Clinical data obtained with current laboratory systems revealed corneal stiffness changes caused by keratoconus, collagen crosslinking and keratectomy. For commercialization of this promising technology, this fast-track project streamlines development through innovative engineering that focuses on miniaturization, cost lowering and manufacturing compatibility, in close collaboration between the inventor’s lab and a spin-off startup that is led by an experienced team in the ophthalmology device industry. Phase-I was previously funded to develop a frequency-stabilized laser source with reduced spontaneous emission noise (successfully completed). Phase-II will take this innovation to develop and test a tabletop alpha prototype (Aim II-1) and then build portable beta prototypes (Aim II-2). The functionality, reliability and operability of the prototypes will be validated in clinical pilot trials in an eye hospital for variety of clinical cases including keratoconus cases, pre- and post- refractive surgery cases, and pre- and post- collagen crosslinking cases. The successful completion of this project will have transferred Brillouin microscopy from academia to the medical device industry, and will accelerate the translation of tissue biomechanical assessments into clinical practice. Ultimately, the successful commercialization of in vivo Brillouin imaging will have a high impact on eye healthcare by improving the diagnosis, intervention and surgical treatment of various vision problems.