SBIR-STTR Award

Novel Approach To Delivering Excimer UV Energy For Photoreactive Keratectomy
Award last edited on: 6/10/08

Sponsored Program
SBIR
Awarding Agency
NIH : NEI
Total Award Amount
$737,532
Award Phase
2
Solicitation Topic Code
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Principal Investigator
Roy E Williams

Company Information

FEO Medical Inc (AKA: Manufacture surgical and medical instruments)

1025 Crosswinds Cove
Collierville, TN 38017
   (901) 853-2244
   rewillia@midsouth.rr.com
   www.feomedical.com
Location: Single
Congr. District: 08
County: Shelby

Phase I

Contract Number: 1R43EY011587-01
Start Date: 00/00/00    Completed: 00/00/00
Phase I year
1996
Phase I Amount
$99,950
DESCRIPTION: (Adapted From The Investigator's Abstract): Refractive keratotomy, the dominant method for surgical correction of refractive error, has one main weakness - the inability to predict accurately the outcome of surgery for an individual patient. Excimer ultraviolet (UV) lasers offer a potential solution to this problem if they are coupled to an effective laser delivery system. Photorefractive Keratectomy (PRK), or laser-based corneal surgery, can be implemented through many types of laser delivery configurations. The two most successful ones are the expanding iris technique, which offers a simple implementation but is limited to treating myopia, and the scanning spot technique which offers the greatest treatment flexibility but with extended treatment times and complicated delivery hardware. FEO Medical proposes to deliver complex correction patterns to the cornea in substantially reduced treatment times using a novel technique based on a digital, micromachined device, consisting of a 640x480 array of individually- controlled micromirrors, coupled to a digital corneal topography system. During Phase I, computer-generated test patterns will be etched onto various UV-sensitive test materials. The resulting etch patterns will be compared to the known patterns to measure the success of the project and establish a basis for the Phase II effort which will involve animal and human studies.National Eye Institute (NEI)

Phase II

Contract Number: 2R44EY011587-02
Start Date: 00/00/00    Completed: 00/00/00
Phase II year
1999
(last award dollars: 2000)
Phase II Amount
$637,582

Given that the use of photorefractive keratectomy has been more successful in achieving accurate corrections for simple myopia than refractive keratotomy, FEO Medical proposed in Phase I studies to advance this approach. They developed a laboratory prototype that exploits a novel technique using a digital microelectromechanical system. It is comprised of several hundred thousand digitally controlled micromirrors to reflect excimer laser energy according to patterns obtained from digitally acquired corneal topography data. Experiments in Phase I showed that the mirrors could reflect enough energy to etch the cornea, using test materials. Corneal topography data was used to drive the micromirrors suggesting that the system could function in toto. During the Phase II project, FEO Medical plans to work with Texas Instruments, the manufacturer of the mircomirrors, to extend the life of the mirrors. They also plan to etch and analyze more complex topography patterns, to develop an eye tracking system, to develop a system to change the micromirror fixture easily, and to find a commercial company that would bring the system to market. FEO Medical states that they have a patent on the system as conceived, entitled High Resolution, High Speed, Programmable Laser Beam Modulating Apparatus for Microsurgery.