Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) is a leading cause of blindness globally, requiring early and accurate diagnosis for effective intervention.

The Need

Current diagnostic methods for DR lack the precision needed to identify subtle retinal microvascular changes in the disease’s early stages. There is a pressing need for objective tools that can offer comprehensive insights into retinal microvasculature alterations, enabling timely detection and characterization of DR.

The Technology:

Researchers at The Ohio State University have developed a revolutionary technology that leverages Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography (OCTA) to provide a new era of diabetic retinopathy assessment. By employing a sophisticated operator, this new technology is able to pinpoint retinal orientation at each pixel in the OCTA image. Three innovative quantitative metrics emerge: vessel preferred orientation, vessel anisotropy, and vessel area. This technology transforms each 45̊ sector of the circular macular region into a region of interest, unveiling sectoral differences that were previously concealed.

Benefits/Advantages: Redefining Diabetic Retinopathy Assessment

• Enhanced Sensitivity: Uncover nuanced retinal vascular changes that traditional methods may miss, improving diagnostic accuracy
• Sectoral Insights: Gain precise sector-specific data, enabling targeted treatment and personalized patient care strategies
• Comprehensive Assessment: Beyond vessel density alone, our approach provides multiple simultaneous metrics for a comprehensive evaluation of retinal microvasculature health
• Correlation with Established Metrics: Strong correlations between vessel area and established metrics ensure confidence and consistency in diagnostic and research applications
• Feasible and Reliable: Preliminary results demonstrate the feasibility and reliability of the approach, opening new avenues for DR characterization.

Commercial Applications

• Early Detection and Diagnosis:Uncover subtle retinal microvascular changes, enabling early-stage DR detection for timely medical intervention
• Progression Monitoring: Track disease progression with unprecedented accuracy, facilitating personalized treatment plans and optimizing patient outcomes.
• Research Advancements: Propel retinal research forward with detailed insights into microvascular alterations, enhancing the understanding of DR's underlying mechanisms.
• Clinical Trials Enhancement: Elevate clinical trial efficiency by providing sensitive and specific outcome measures, expediting drug development and approval.
• Telemedicine and Remote Care: Enable remote diabetic retinopathy screening through advanced imaging, expanding access to underserved populations and rural areas.

Patent applications pending