Image-guided Devices for Ophthalmic Care

Principal Investigator: Karol Karnowski, PhD

The Image-guided Devices for Ophthalmic Care (IDoc) group seeks to research novel techniques and develop instrumentation to address unanswered questions in vision science and unmet needs in ophthalmology and optometry. 

The IDoc team members put their experience and know-how in optical engineering, imaging, biomedical physics, computing and mechatronics to work on translational eye research, by collaborating with vision scientists on one side and ophthalmologists, optometrists, and surgeons on the other.  

The IDoc laboratory’s research activities focus on the development of: 

• Devices for eye function and treatment monitoring 

We pioneer new optical techniques and prototype novel devices to monitor eye health and response to treatment for several eye conditions. We do this by imaging dynamically over time the physical response of the eye (and its layers) to external stimuli, such as visible light stimuli and/or mechanical stimuli, for full retinal volumes, on multiple planes sectioning the eye or at an arrangement of locations around the cornea.    

• Devices for eye surgery planning 

We design and build novel low-cost devices needed for planning eye surgery, especially cataract surgery, such as whole-eye scanners for both the anterior eye segment and the retina and novel ocular biometers, with the goal of increasing accessibility to healthcare. 

• Devices for eye surgery guidance and therapy administration 

We propose advanced eye tissue visualization with machine vision-enhanced intraoperative OCT and robotic micromanipulation systems for guidance of smart shadowless surgical tools. This aims at delivering safer and more effective eye surgeries and a higher chance to restore vision for those who lost it or never had it.

Contact:
Leader: kkarnowski@ichf.edu.pl