INNOVATION July-August 2018

...C ontinued from page 23 and Faisal have developed is at the forefront,” says Navajas. “It’s pushing technology forward.” It’s also opening the door for health researchers in other areas, too, who believe there is a distinct possibility that images of the retina could be key to the earlier detection of other serious diseases, including Alzheimer’s and other neuro- degenerative illnesses. Currently, a disease like Alzheimer’s can brew within body for as long as 20 years before it is detected, which means treatment is often far too late to be effective. “The eye as window to the brain” is an idea that is gaining currency, says Sarunic. “We don’t know for sure yet but we may be able to use scans of the retina as a proxy for, or complement to, the brain imaging that’s done now, such as MRIs and PET scans. Those have long wait times and are expensive, while an eye scan would be more broadly available and much lower cost.” It could also eventually, particularly if the scanner does in fact make its way into the neighbourhood optometrist office, ensure that everyone is screened for a range of diseases as a matter of course. That broader possibility is one factor contributing to making retinal scanning “a really hot field” right now, Sarunic says. “There are several groups around the world looking at adaptive optics and OCT for retinal scanning and who can make it better. It’s friendly competition—we cooperate and share intel—so it’s fun and motivates us to work hard.” Says Jian, “We are very happy to be in the ring and part of the game. It’s our life’s work.” j

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Dr. Yifan Jian at a retinal scanner test bed. P hoto : M ike C rane

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