TNO Unveils Retinal Camera to Measure Oxygen Saturation in Retinal Blood Vessels

At the Euretina Congress in Amsterdam, the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research (TNO) introduced a retinal camera designed to assess oxygen saturation in retinal blood vessels using light. TNO, an independent research organization, also devised a sophisticated model eye to validate retinal cameras equipped with this oxygen measurement capability.

The ultimate goal for TNO is to explore the potential for detecting cardiovascular diseases and brain disorders such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's through eye examinations.

Under the initiative known as "QRI, Quantitative Retinal Imaging," TNO collaborates with the Rotterdam Ophthalmological Institute and the Leiden Centre for Human Drug Research. This module employs specific colors and line patterns to illuminate the retina, enabling diagnostic insights into retinal oxygen distribution through pattern reflection. Additionally, TNO is working on a Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope (SLO) system in partnership with the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Heidelberg Engineering. This system utilizes a high-speed scanning laser emitting multi-colored light to measure oxygen saturation in retinal blood vessels, potentially facilitating early detection of eye conditions like diabetic retinopathy.

Validating new ophthalmological instruments presents challenges due to the inaccessibility of the retina. To overcome this hurdle, TNO created an innovative model eye that faithfully replicates a human eye's blood vessels. This model incorporates live human blood flow within a small artificial blood vessel, simulating the optical and geometric properties of a real eye's layered retina. Oxygen saturation in the blood is adjustable through the use of a miniature heart-lung machine.