Retinal imaging company wins top award

A company that developed a new method of retinal imaging has won this year’s £50,000 MacRobert Award, from the Royal Academy of Engineering. The company, Optos, saw off competition from Davy Process Technology, Airbus and Brinker Technology to scoop the prize. The company was founded in 1992 by Douglas Anderson, after his son lost his sight in one eye due to a retinal detachment being diagnosed too late. Routine retinal examination methods provide only a limited, narrow-field view of the retina. These limitations led Anderson to develop and commercialise a non-invasive imager which, in quarter of a second, captures a high resolution digital image of over 80% of the retina. It has significantly reduced the risk of missing early signs of eye diseases, as well as indicating other diseases such as diabetes, hypertension and certain cancers – which are often first exhibited in the retina. Optos’ P200 scanning laser ophthalmoscope is aimed at primary health care, while a variant – the P200MA – is used by retinal specialists and surgeons in secondary health care. Low power lasers, manipulated by ellipsoidal mirror technology, maximise the area of the retina that can be seen, creating a ‘virtual scanning point’ inside the patient’s eye. The company’s proprietary suite of software allows the practitioner to capture, manipulate and enhance the image as required, enabling a detailed evaluation of the retina and producing a permanent clinical record of the examination.