Ultrafast eye imaging to detect and track diabetic retinopathy
Official title: Novel ultrahigh speed swept source OCT angiography methods in diabetic retinopathy
Funded at Massachusetts Institute of Technology · NIH-11418357 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A doctor-science team is developing ultra-fast eye scans to better see tiny blood vessels in people with diabetic retinopathy, helping catch changes early and guide treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts Institute of Technology NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Cambridge, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $469,714 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EY034080-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11418357 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults with diabetic retinopathy or at risk of DR who could benefit from enhanced imaging to monitor disease progression or treatment response.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without DR or those not needing enhanced imaging may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project focuses on advancing optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) to image retinal blood flow and microvasculature in diabetic retinopathy. By building faster hardware and smarter analysis, it aims to visualize capillary-level blood flow and create a reliable biomarker for disease activity. The work combines new imaging hardware with software tools to produce wide-field, high-definition images that could predict progression and improve trial designs for treatments. If successful, clinicians could use these advances to detect trouble sooner and tailor therapies more precisely.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients could benefit from earlier detection of vision-threatening changes and more informed, timely treatment decisions.
How similar studies have gone: Prior OCTA and imaging studies show promise, but this project aims to push speed and resolution to a new level for care and trial efficiency.
Where this research is happening
-
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Fujimoto, James G — Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Study coordinator: Fujimoto, James G
Related research
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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.