Device screens AMD susceptibility

A researcher at the University of Bristol, United Kingdom, has developed a device that can rapidly screen a patient’s macular pigment density, allowing clinicians to better assess those at risk for age-related macular degeneration, according to a press release from the university.

Shelby Temple, PhD, from the university’s School of Biological Sciences, was researching the ability of octopuses, cuttlefish and coral reef fish to see polarized light, which humans are not normally able to see, when he developed the device to display polarized light to animals. He realized he could also see a pattern.

“What I was seeing was an effect known as Haidinger’s brushes, which happens within the eye when people perceive polarized light. The ability to see this phenomenon is linked to an aspect of eye health and can be an early indicator of disease,” Temple said in the release.

He then realized his device could be helpful for screening for a susceptibility to AMD.

Temple was named Innovator of the Year 2017 by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council for his work.