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Exact sciences
Innovative Eye Diagnostics
New technology for imaging the entire eye is to be developed at the Nicolaus Copernicus University. Researchers from Toruń and Bydgoszcz have secured over 5.3 million zlotys in funding for the project from the Medical Research Agency.
The Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń is among the beneficiaries of the Medical Research Agency's prestigious TRANSMED I programme. The project, entitled “Assessment of the Morphometry and Densitometry of Ocular Structures Using OCT with an Extended Imaging Range", has received funding of over PLN 5.3 million and is one of 23 projects selected for implementation.
The NCU project is an example of close collaboration between the medical and physics communities at the university and a testament to the university's strong position in the field of modern biomedical technologies and translational ophthalmology. It will be led by an interdisciplinary team of researchers from the NCU Collegium Medicum in Bydgoszcz and the NCU Institute of Physics, with the support of the newly opened Clinical Research Support Centre. The project leader is prof. dr habil. Bartłomiej J. Kałużny from the Department of Ophthalmology at the NCU Collegium Medicum, whilst the research and development component is led by dr habil. Ireneusz Grulkowski, NCU Prof. from the Department of Biophysics at the Institute of Physics, who specialises in biomedical imaging technologies and biomedical optics. The team operates within the research group 'BRIDGE – Innovative biomaterials, therapeutics, and non-invasive imaging for regenerative precision medicine of barrier tissues.'
An eye under the scanner
The researchers' aim is to develop a new generation of OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) system that will enable high-resolution, three-dimensional imaging of the entire eye. The technology is intended to enable detailed assessment not only of the cornea and retina, but also of the vitreous – the largest and, at the same time, one of the least understood structures within the eyeball.
The researchers will utilise modern optics, advanced image processing and artificial intelligence methods. This will enable the development of new quantitative indicators of the structure and transparency of the eye, linked to degenerative changes and eye diseases. In practice, this should lead to earlier detection of pathological changes and more accurate diagnosis.
First and foremost, the researchers emphasise that the project has significant potential for practical application. The technology being developed could be used in everyday clinical practice to aid in the diagnosis of retinal diseases, degenerative changes in the vitreous body, and pathologies at the vitreoretinal junction. The new solutions may also help to better understand the ageing process of the eye and the impact of intraocular changes on patients' visual acuity. The project will also establish a database of whole-eye OCT scans and advanced image analysis tools, which can be utilised in further research and the development of artificial intelligence in ophthalmology.
The Medical Research Agency's TRANSMED I programme supports projects in the field of translational medicine aimed at transferring research findings into clinical practice and developing modern medical technologies. Funding has been awarded to projects with high implementation potential and significance for the development of modern healthcare in Poland.
