Acucela to develop OCT device for NASA deep space missions

Acucela Inc., a clinical-stage ophthalmology company, announced that it has signed an agreement with the Translational Research Institute for Space Health to develop a compact OCT device for NASA’s deep space missions.

The company stated in a press release that about 63% of long-duration space flight crewmembers present with one or more signs of space flight-associated neuro-ocular syndrome (SANS). These symptoms include optic disc edema, globe flattening, choroidal folds, cotton-wool spots and refractive shifts. OCT has become essential to crewmembers to test for SANS.

“I am very excited to be able to take part in NASA’s efforts as a principal investigator with expeditionary space travel. Using our technology, we will endeavor to build a durable, handheld OCT device for use during space flight, to help safeguard crewmembers’ health,” Acucela President, CEO and chairman Ryo Kubota, MD, PhD, said in the release.

The commercially available off-the-shelf OCT devices currently deployed to the International Space Station are not suitable for Lunar, Martian or other expeditionary space travel, according to Acucela. Commercial systems are complex, large, not radiation hardened and contain extra features not necessary for diagnosing SANS.

The final flight-ready device, according to the company, will allow NASA to replace current OCT devices with smaller and lighter versions that are easier to use and radiation hardened. The company asserts that its new OCT devices will be designed for practical use in smaller spacecrafts and provide the level of image quality necessary to monitor SANS.