The National Eye Institute (NEI; Bethesda, MD) has allocated a total of $1.72 million in grants to Bioptigen (Morrisville, NC) for development of microscope-integrated intraoperative optical coherence tomography (OCT) technology. Presently, perioperative OCT imaging is performed using a handheld probe, or by mounting such a probe to the surgical microscope. Under the new NEI grant, the company will advance development of a novel intraoperative OCT system integrated directly into the optical train of the surgical microscope.
Related: PRODUCT FOCUS: OCT systems for ophthalmology
"Ultimately, the ability to observe sub-surface structures simultaneous with surgical manipulations will provide surgeons with a critical advance in microscopic visualization, with the goal of improving patient outcomes and reducing surgical risk," says Dr. Eric Buckland, CEO of Bioptigen.
The company's Microscope Integrated SDOCT design provides real-time imaging over a field of view 20 mm wide and 15 mm in depth. The system images ocular tissue structure at 6 µm axial resolution, and offers independent OCT focus and zoom controls for flexibility in posterior and anterior imaging. Right now, the device is for investigational use only, as it is not cleared by the FDA to be marketed, sold, or distributed within the U.S.
The company currently markets the FDA-cleared Envisu C2300 spectral-domain ophthalmic imaging system for handheld and microscope-mounted use in pediatric, clinical, and perioperative settings.
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