Auto-aligning hand-held retinal scanner for infants and children
Auto-aligning hand-held OCT and OCTA for pediatric applications
This project is building a hand-held, self-aligning retinal camera to capture low-stress, repeatable eye scans for infants and young children.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Duke University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Durham, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11175407 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be scanned with a new, auto-aligning hand-held retinal imaging device that captures detailed pictures of retinal structure and blood vessels using OCT and OCTA. The device is being designed to automatically align to the eye so operators need less manual positioning and infants experience less stress. The team will test the probe in pediatric clinics and neonatal units to collect repeatable, high-quality images suitable for tracking conditions like retinopathy of prematurity. This work builds on earlier portable OCT devices but adds automatic alignment to improve consistency for longitudinal follow-up.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates include infants and young children—especially preterm babies at risk for retinopathy of prematurity—and other pediatric patients who cannot cooperate with standard eye imaging.
Not a fit: Patients who do not need retinal imaging or who can sit still for standard adult tabletop OCT are unlikely to benefit directly from this device.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could make retinal screening for infants and children faster, less stressful, and provide clearer images for earlier detection and reliable follow-up of pediatric retinal conditions.
How similar studies have performed: Hand-held OCT and OCTA devices have been used in research and some clinical settings to image infants' retinas, but auto-aligning probes for routine pediatric use are new and largely untested clinically.
Where this research is happening
Durham, United States
- Duke University — Durham, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dhalla, Al-Hafeez Zahir — Duke University
- Study coordinator: Dhalla, Al-Hafeez Zahir
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.