18.11.2024 How can technology be developed to help patients gain faster access to specialized ophthalmological care? Polish researchers from the ICTER scientific centre, who are exploring this question, will officially join forces with their French and British counterparts on January 1, 2025. Adam Kubas, Director of the Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences (IChF), signed a grant agreement with the European Commission for the “Teaming for Excellence” project. This achievement reflects months of dedicated efforts by the ICTER team, which operates within the IChF.
“This project marks a significant milestone in establishing ICTER as a centre of scientific and research excellence. It will empower us to validate and bring our cutting-edge technologies to market, boost our visibility, and reinforce both international and local partnerships. Through these advancements, ICTER is poised to make a lasting impact on innovation in ophthalmology in Poland and beyond,” said Professor Maciej Wojtkowski, head of the ICTER scientific centre.
A prestigious grant under the “Teaming for Excellence” programme within Horizon Europe has secured the researchers a total of €30 million in funding, with €15 million from the European Commission and an additional matching contribution from the Foundation for Polish Science and the Ministry of Science and Higher Education.
Theory Meets Practice
Today, ICTER scientists integrate knowledge from physics, biology, chemistry, engineering, and medicine. Thanks to the collaboration with the Institute of Ophthalmology at University College London and the Institut de la Vision at Sorbonne Université, researchers will not only enhance the exchange of knowledge and experience between leading eye research centres but also gain better opportunities to test new solutions. The Warsaw-based ICTER Centre of Scientific Excellence will be a place where science meets practice, transforming research into tangible medical solutions.
ICTER and its partners have already begun building the project’s visibility, both within the scientific community and among organizations that supported the team during the grant application phase. These activities mark the first step in creating a network of organizations and individuals dedicated to fighting for patients’ eye health. This network will accelerate the implementation of new technologies and ensure that research teams stay closely aligned with the needs of ophthalmologists. As a result, ICTER can be confident that the technologies it develops will effectively support medical professionals.
Technology to the Aid of Ophthalmologists
These approaches form the foundation of scientists’ work. Researchers analyze issues that hinder the progress of ophthalmology and determine whether current technological solutions can address these challenges. Their devices utilize advanced eye illumination methods, cameras capable of recording up to 60,000 frames per second, and artificial intelligence solutions that allow for rapid analysis of eye function.
One of the technologies now emerging from ICTER’s laboratories is STOC-T. This equipment will facilitate faster and more accurate diagnosis of diseases such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy. Early diagnosis is critical because, in Poland, each ophthalmologist serves approximately 10,000 patients. According to the National Health Fund, by the end of the second quarter of 2024, over 470,000 Poles were waiting for ophthalmological consultations—a number equivalent to the entire population of Gdańsk.
