I-Corps: A Computational Solution to Evaluate Optic Nerve Function

这个I-Corps项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力是客观技术的潜在发展，该技术可用于潜在地检测对视觉刺激的不同反应，以模拟视神经的功能。这项技术可以让医生对头痛或视力下降的患者进行分类，而不需要进行昂贵的、通常只有在先进的眼科诊所才能进行的额外测试。这项技术也可以用来监测和预测病人的疾病进展，因为它可以减少病人目前与眼科专家见面的间隔。这个I-Corps项目是基于视力筛查测试的潜在发展，以评估头戴式显示器的相对传入瞳孔缺陷，这种显示器可能是负担得起的，使用方便，并且能够产生视神经健康的评估。该产品的核心技术是一种工具，可以让医生通过远程和更短的时间间隔进行常规眼科检查，更多地参与患者的护理。非专业人士（主治医生或急诊医生）可能是该产品的主要客户。医生可以对视觉刺激的传入反应进行快速，可靠和高度准确的测量，以监测视神经及其功能的健康状况，特别是当患者出现突然和无法解释的视力变化或头痛时。此外，该产品还可以进行基线测试，以预测患者对治疗的反应或疾病的进展潜力，这有助于减少诊所就诊次数，提高医生的工作效率。该奖项反映了NSF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 potential development of objective technology that could be utilized to potentially detect different responses to visual stimuli to model the functions of the optic nerve. This technology may allow physicians to triage patients who present with headaches or vision losses without the potential need for expensive and often additional tests only available at advanced ophthalmic clinics. This technology could also be used to monitor and predict the progression of a patient’s disease, as it may reduce the intervals with which patients are currently seen by eye specialists.This I-Corps project is based on the potential development of a vision screening test to evaluate relative afferent pupillary defects in a head-mounted display that may be affordable, convenient to use, and capable of generating an assessment of the health of the optic nerve. The core technology in the product is a tool that may allow physicians to be more involved with the care of their patients by performing routine eye exams remotely and at shorter time intervals. Non-specialists (principal care doctors or emergency doctors) may be among the primary customers of this product. Doctors could be able to make quick, reliable, and highly accurate measurements of afferent responses to visual stimuli to monitor the health of the optic nerve and its function, especially when their patient presents sudden and unexplainable vision changes or headaches. In addition, the product may be able to perform baseline tests to predict the patient’s responses to treatment or the progression potential of their disease which could help reduce the number of clinic visits and increase doctors’ productivity.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.