Duke researchers develop hand-held device to take high-resolution images of children’s retinas

A new hand-held device capable of taking images of a child’s retina with cellular resolution has been developed by engineers and physicians at Duke University, according to a university press release.

The ultra-compact hand-held device, which is based on OCT and other technologies, allows researchers to gather structural information about the eyes of infants and toddlers for the first time.

“The probe, featuring a compact optical design weighing only 94 g, was able to quantify packing densities of parafoveal cone photoreceptors and visualize cross-sectional photoreceptor substructure in children ranging from 14 months to 12 years,” the developers wrote in a letter published in Nature Photonics.

Traditional OCT devices are bulky and require patients to sit still in front of the equipment and remain focused on a point. The process takes several minutes, which can be a challenge for a small child.

“Diagnostic tools that examine and image the retina have been well-designed for adults, but are exceedingly difficult to use in infants and young children who can’t hold the required position or focus for long enough periods of time,” Cynthia Toth, MD, professor of ophthalmology and biomedical engineering at Duke University, said in the release. “Before now, it hasn’t been possible to measure the impact of injury or diseases on their photoreceptors, the cells in the eye in which light is first converted into nerve signals.”

The device is currently being used at Duke Health, and a second-generation model is being developed.

Disclosure: LaRocca reports he is an inventor on a patent application assigned to Duke University related to this work. Please see the letter for all other authors’ relevant financial disclosures.

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LaRocca F, et al. Nat Photonics. 2016;doi:10.1038/NPHOTON.2016.141