Ocular fluorophotometer for use with small eyes

描述（由申请人提供）：本SBIR项目的目的是开发一种用于测量小鼠眼睛的眼部荧光光度计。眼荧光光度法已被证明是一种有用的和通用的技术在眼睛的研究。许多眼部疾病的小动物模型，特别是在基因工程小鼠中，提供了一个独特的机会，可以快速产生大量可能适用于人眼研究的疾病特异性结果。本项目拟开发一种用于小鼠眼荧光光度测定的系统。在I期和II期的过程中，目标是开发和测试测量泪液周转、水周转、血液视网膜屏障通透性、血液水屏障通透性、角膜内皮通透性和角膜上皮通透性的仪器和方法。第一阶段集中于水周转率的测量。通过高度精确的仪器和适当的方法，成功地实现了所有特定目标。这为实现其他应用奠定了基础，所有这些应用都已通过该项目的制造商开发的仪器成功地在人体中进行了测量。第二阶段将解决这些其他应用，并进一步完善第一阶段设计的方法。特别是，将设计一个动物约束系统，其中每个模块持有鼠标可以快速切换进出主仪器。最终目标是先测量一只眼睛，然后是另一只眼睛，然后是下一只老鼠的眼睛，所有这些都是快速连续的，而不需要重新调整仪器，这样就可以在一次测量中筛选许多受试者。这些努力的总体结果将是产生用于眼睛研究的标准化仪器和方法，可用于在小鼠身上以标准化、可重复和可比较的方式测量多种眼科参数。许多眼部疾病的小动物模型，特别是在基因工程小鼠中，提供了一个独特的机会，可以快速产生大量可能适用于人眼研究的疾病特异性结果。该仪器将与这些动物模型结合使用，以促进我们对人类眼病的基本了解，并快速筛选有前景的药物和其他疾病治疗方法。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The purpose of this SBIR project is to develop an ocular fluorophotometer for measurements in the mouse eye. Ocular fluorophotometry has proven to be a useful and versatile technique in eye research. Small animal models of numerous ocular diseases, particularly in genetically engineered mice, present a unique opportunity to generate a large number of disease-specific results quickly that may be applicable to human eye research. This project proposes to develop a system for performing ocular fluorophotometry on the mouse. Over the course of both Phase I and Phase II, the goal is to develop and test both instrumentation and methods for measuring tear turnover, aqueous turnover, blood retinal barrier permeability, blood aqueous barrier permeability, cornea endothelial permeability, and cornea epithelial permeability. Phase I concentrated on the measurement of aqueous turnover. All Specific Aims were successfully attained with the demonstration of highly accurate instrumentation and appropriate methodology. This lays the foundation for implementing the other applications, all of which have been successfully measured in humans with instrumentation developed by this project s manufacturer. Phase II will address these other applications as well as further refine methods designed during Phase I. In particular, an animal restraint system will be designed in which each module holding a mouse can be quickly switched in and out of the main instrument. The ultimate goal is to measure first one eye, then the other eye, and then the eyes of the next mouse, all in rapid succession and without realignment of the instrument, so that many subjects can be screened in one measurement session. The overall result of these efforts will be to produce standardized instrumentation and methodology for eye research that can be used on mice for measuring multiple ophthalmic parameters in a standardized, repeatable, and comparable manner. Project Relevance Small animal models of numerous ocular diseases, particularly in genetically engineered mice, present a unique opportunity to generate a large number of disease-specific results quickly that may be applicable to human eye research. The proposed instrument will be used in conjunction with these animal models to advance our basic understanding of human eye disease and also to rapidly screen promising drugs and other disease therapies.