Objective:
To advance a handheld device for diabetes and pre-diabetes screening through eye scans.
Approach:
- Device Development: Occuity is developing the SD1 device, a non-contact optical system for use in community settings like opticians and pharmacies.
- Oculomics Technology: The device measures advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) in the crystalline lens to assess diabetes risk without blood samples.
Key Findings:
- The SD1 device aims to make diabetes screening faster and more accessible.
- Diabetes is a significant burden on the NHS and a leading cause of severe health complications.
- Existing prevention programs struggle with early identification of at-risk individuals.
Interpretation:
The SD1 device could facilitate earlier identification of pre-diabetes through rapid, non-invasive assessments.
Limitations:
- The success rate for funding was about 2.3%, indicating high competition.
Conclusion:
The funding from Innovate UK represents a significant endorsement of Occuity's technology and vision.
Sources:
This content is an AI-generated, fully rewritten summary based on a published scholarly article. It does not reproduce the original text and is not a substitute for the original publication. Readers are encouraged to consult the source for full context, data, and methodology.