R.P 3.1 Eye Disease Diagnosis and Treatment Enabled by Novel Retinal Instrumentation

Overview

Current treatments for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) require frequent anti-VEGF injections, while ocular cancers often necessitate eye removal. This project aims to advance retinal disease diagnosis and treatment by integrating ultrafast laser technology with a highly specialized adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscope (AOSLO). The first objective is to demonstrate highly precise two-photon photodynamic therapy (2P-PDT) to treat sight- and life-threatening ocular diseases by selectively closing diseased retinal blood vessels, validated initially in animal models and optimized for human use. The second objective is to develop a next-generation clinical AOSLO system capable of cellular-scale fluorescence lifetime imaging of the retina, enabling early detection and functional assessment of retinal degeneration linked to conditions such as macular degeneration and glaucoma.