A University of Liverpool spin-out company OCUWELL has developed novel corneal assessment technology that has the potential to transform eye care delivery.
More than 850 million people worldwide suffer from corneal disorders. This leads to an estimated 36 million cases of blindness and 217 million cases of moderate to severe visual impairment. Corneal disorders is a catch-all term that covers conditions including high myopia, astigmatism, keratoconus, dry eyes, cataracts, and corneal dystrophies.
Finding ways to diagnose and treat these conditions usually needs a corneal topography device. The problem is that these devices are expensive, not always available where they are needed and thus often require travel to specialised clinics. Additionally, they are not available to children, bedridden and psychiatric patients who may find sitting in front of a desktop device challenging.
Lack of access to suitable diagnostic equipment delays treatment and leads to unnecessary loss of sight for millions. Globally, over 80% of optometry clinics and more than 40% of specialised tertiary clinics do not have these devices. As a result, 28% of patients with corneal diseases remain undiagnosed. Worse still, this leads to missed opportunities for early treatment that could prevent sight loss. In many parts of the world, over 60% of newly diagnosed cases are classified as "severe" at first presentation.
Professor Ahmed Elsheikh, company co-founder, Chief Scientific Officer and Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University's School of Engineering, leads the research at University spin-out OCUWELL which aims to address these challenges and bring about global health equality in eye care.
OCUWELL has developed an affordable, portable corneal topography device for health care professionals that has been demonstrated to perform equivalent to gold standard. The cutting-edge technology provides precise, cloud-based, point-of-care assessments and management of corneal conditions at a fraction of the cost of existing devices. Throughout the development stages, OCUWELL conducted clinical trials with patients in Sankara Nethralaya Hospital, India, Tilganga Eye Institute, Nepal, and ElNour Eye Clinic in Alexandria, Egypt.
Professor Elsheikh said: "Through 25 years of leading scientific research, we're enabling individuals to maintain optimal vision and cherish life's precious moments. By addressing health inequalities in the UK and abroad, improving access to rapid diagnostic excellence and progression monitoring, OCUWELL is on a mission to transform the delivery of eye care worldwide."
With £1.45M of grant funding to date and £165k of match-funding support from the University of Liverpool, OCUWELL is now progressing with the necessary regulatory approvals to allow its sight saving approach to be brought to market via partnerships.
Professor Anthony Hollander, Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research & Impact at the University of Liverpool, said: "OCUWELL is producing MedTech which is potentially life-changing for millions of people worldwide. We are delighted to have supported the spin-out, via the University's Enterprise Team and Enterprise Fund investment, and we wish the team well on their journey."
