Measuring tiny blood flow and pulsation in retinal capillaries
Official title: In Vivo Characterizations of Retinal Hemodynamics
Funded at Doheny Eye Institute · NIH-11145937 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Using a high-resolution adaptive optics camera to watch how red blood cells move in tiny retinal vessels for people with or at risk for retinal or vascular eye disease.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Doheny Eye Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pasadena, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 30, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $381,585 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EY034218-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11145937 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with diabetic retinopathy, hypertension, other microvascular eye conditions, or healthy volunteers willing to undergo non-invasive retinal imaging are ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People with dense cataracts, severe eye movement disorders, or inability to sit for imaging may not be eligible or benefit from the imaging procedures.
What this research studies
You would have non-invasive, high-resolution imaging of the back of your eye using a specialized adaptive optics near-confocal ophthalmoscope that can visualize single red blood cells in capillaries. The team will record how those cells speed up, slow down, and how the small vessels respond to pressure and flow over time. They will compare measurements across people with conditions like diabetic retinopathy or high blood pressure and volunteers without those conditions. The goal is to link abnormal pulsation or stress on capillaries to early signs of damage and potential targets for treatment.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help detect early capillary damage in the retina and guide treatments to prevent vision loss.
How similar studies have gone: Adaptive optics retinal imaging is an established technique for viewing cells in the retina, but applying it to quantify pulsatile red blood cell flow in capillaries is relatively new and still being developed.
Where this research is happening
-
Doheny Eye Institute
Pasadena, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zhang, Yuhua Liang — Doheny Eye Institute
- Study coordinator: Zhang, Yuhua Liang
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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.