CORDIS fornisce collegamenti ai risultati finali pubblici e alle pubblicazioni dei progetti ORIZZONTE.
I link ai risultati e alle pubblicazioni dei progetti del 7° PQ, così come i link ad alcuni tipi di risultati specifici come dataset e software, sono recuperati dinamicamente da .OpenAIRE .
Risultati finali
Potential applications:
- Measurement of the global waterfront aberrations of the eye.
Potential end-users:
Eye-care practitioners including:
- Optometrists.
- Ophthalmologists.
- Eye surgeons.
Innovative features and benefits:
Hartmann-Shack aberrometers measure the monochromatic aberrations of the total eye, including the cornea, the crystalline lens and the intra-ocular media. The first aberrometers have reached the laser refractive surgery market in the year 2000. These aberrometers have a rather low range of measurable complex aberrations and cannot assess eyes with severe corneal conditions.
UMURCIA has developed a high-dynamic range aberrometer able to assess eyes that suffer from pathological irregularities thanks to its smart optical arrangement. Another advantage of the new system is its simplicity.
Analysis of the market:
Aberrometers have first been marketed in the year 2000 as optional devices with refractive surgery lasers. The connection of the laser to an aberrometer allows customising the corneal ablation procedure to the measured wave front data. Wavefront-guided ablation has become a very hot topic in ocular surgery. At present around 10 different aberrometers are commercially available.
Aberrometers are now slowly entering general ophthalmology/optometry clinics and private practices. It is predicted that, within 5 to 10 years, aberrometers will have totally replaced the automated refractometers that are currently used by all eye clinicians.
Potential barriers:
Industrial property: the optical arrangement could not be protected by a patent; therefore it could easily be copied.
Exploiting partner: there is not any willingness among the partners of the CLAAS project to commercially exploit the high-dynamic range aberrometer. Commercial exploitation could only be achieved through a third party.
Potential applications:
- Measurement of the external eye shape (cornea and surrounding sclera).
- Measurement of complex optical lens surfaces.
Potential end-users:
Eye-care practitioners including:
- Optometrists.
- Ophthalmologists.
- Eye surgeons.
- Manufacturers of complex optical lenses.
Innovative features and benefits:
Prior to the CLAAS project, UMAAS had developed a corneal topographer called MST able to measure the external shape of the eye. Compared to existing devices, the MST can assess the eye over a much larger area, which encompasses not only the cornea but also a part of the surrounding sclera. This superiority due to the projection technique is a real advantage in contact lens fitting and ocular surgery. The inconvenience of the MST is the need to instill fluorescein in the patient's tears prior to the measurement. Fluorescein is required to make the tear layer behave like a projection screen.
In the CLAAS project, UMAAS has explored an improved projection technique that does not require the use of fluorescein. It is therefore totally non invasive. Its principle is to use an ultraviolet wavelength for which the measured surface itself behaves like a projection screen. It may serve to assess the eye as well as complex optical lens surfaces.
Analysis of the market:
The ophthalmic diagnostic instrument market is occupied by several major companies, the majority being Japanese. Corneal topography is a small segment of this very competitive market. It seems difficult to successfully release a new and relatively expensive device in this sector.
Laser refractive surgery is a fast growing market. Eye clinics and ophthalmology departments are used to investing large amounts of money in laser equipment and options. The new projection topographer may be proposed as a high added-value option by a medical laser supplier. A partnership with a major refractive laser manufacturer would greatly help to market the system.
The number of optical lens manufacturers who would be interested in purchasing the new projection topographer is small.
In conclusion the laser refractive surgery segment should be targeted as a first priority.
Potential barriers:
Cost: the new topographer requires a source, optical elements and a detector array that work in the UV range. At the present time the source and specially the detector are very expensive, but a decrease of these costs can be expected within a few years.
Partnership: as explained above, a partnership with a refractive laser manufacturer is probably needed to start marketing the new projection topographer.
Industrial property: the base patent on projection topography was granted to UMAAS prior to the CLAAS project. UMAAS has transferred the rights on this patent to EMI, a small Dutch company. An agreement with EMI is needed to exploit the improved topographer.
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