Eye-on-a-chip Device

Eye-on-a-chip is a transformative in vitro technology designed to replicate the complex biological, mechanical, and chemical environment of the human eye within a microfluidic device. It serves as a sophisticated alternative to traditional animal testing and basic cell cultures.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Modernization Act 2.0 now permits in vitro alternatives to animal testing for pre-clinical screening. However, the current in vitro methods for evaluating ocular drugs still rely on simplistic cell culture models that inadequately replicate the eye's complex microenvironment. This limitation compromises the accuracy, reliability, and clinical relevance of the test results. Utilizing more advanced in vitro models would accelerate the research progress while significantly reducing the R&D costs and resources.

Primary Function: The device is engineered to mimic the ocular environment to test eye products like pharmaceuticals, ophthalmic solutions, and medical devices.

Core Technologies:

• It uses microfluidics to simulate the natural flow of tears.
• It incorporates real-time imaging paired with automated analysis algorithms to monitor cell health.
  

Key Advantages:

• Provides a standardized, cost-effective microenvironment that is highly representative of the human eye.
• Shortens R&D timelines and lowers overall development costs.
• Produces predictive, validated results that speed up the transition of products to the market.

• Pharmaceutical companies
• Research institutions

Dr. Chau-minh PHAN, Assistant Scientific Director, CEVR; Co-founder, Eyenova Biotech 
Dr. Kaya WONG, Postdoctoral Fellow, CEVR;  Co-founder, Eyenova Biotech
Dr. Liping ZHOU,  Project Manager, CEVR; Co-founder, Eyenova Biotech
Dr. Brandon HO, Visiting Scientist, CEVR; Co-founder, Eyenova Biotech

Dr. Kaya WONG, Postdoctoral Fellow, CEVR; Co-Founder, Eyenova Biotech

Kaya.wong@cevr.hk