City University London: Wins Emerald Grant To Develop Innovative Instrument For Detecting Eye Disease

Main Category: Eye Health / Blindness
Article Date: 18 Aug 2009 - 0:00 PDT

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A team from City University London's Optometry Department has won a commercial award from the Emerald proof of concept fund, after pitching to a 'Dragon's Den' panel of judges. The award will help develop eyeVisor™: a portable, inexpensive, head-mounted instrument that could play a role in the screening and home monitoring of chronic eye conditions such as glaucoma or macular degeneration.

The team from City's Department of Optometry and Visual Science, led by Dr. David Crabb, presented the eyeVisor™ concept to a panel of expert judges, including entrepreneurs, technical experts and investors. The head-mounted instrument was awarded a total grant of £40,000, by the Emerald funding body.

Dr David Crabb says: "We have demonstrated that we can successfully pitch a research idea which has true potential in translating to clinical and practical use. The funding is significant because it allows us to develop a prototype and examine other design issues."

The unit is compact, with one major benefit being from the potential to bring portable eye care into regions, for example developing countries, where Optometry facilities are few and far between.

The Emerald funding body was established by eight leading universities and supported by the London Development Agency (LDA). The funds are distributed in the form of grants to academics on a competitive basis to enable them to establish the commercial potential of a concept resulting from their research.

Professor Richard Brook, Emerald Fund Coordinator said: "The panel was impressed with the concept, ambition and cohesion of the team. The commercial and healthcare impact could be significant."

Source
City University London

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