Researchers at the University College London (UCL) Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health are collaborating with Siloton to adapt a new eye imaging technology with the potential to monitor children with potentially blinding disorders in their homes or communities. The project centers around Siloton’s Akepa device, which compresses a tabletop’s worth of components onto a single chip smaller than a £1 coin. Funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), the adapted optical coherence tomography (OCT) system aims to improve access to vital eye health monitoring for young patients.
Siloton’s Akepa Chip Enables At-Home Pediatric Eye Imaging
Siloton’s Akepa device achieves a level of integration comparable to a final product, with approximately 70% of the optical coherence tomography (OCT) system now residing on a single chip. This miniaturization allows the Akepa chip to compress components that previously required an entire tabletop into a space smaller than a £1 coin.
The achievement provides a clear pathway toward high-volume manufacturing, essential for widespread monitoring and treatment of retinal disease, according to Siloton. Professor Ameenat Lola Solebo, at Researchers at the University College London (UCL) Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health and Consultant Ophthalmologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital, emphasized the potential impact on patient care; “The work we have done at the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health and at Great Ormond Street Hospital has shown how transformational imaging can be, improving patient outcomes, and patient and family experience.
The team intends to enable monitoring of children with potentially blinding disorders not only in clinical settings, but also within the community and even from their own homes.” Alasdair Price, co-founder and CEO of Siloton, noted that while initial patient focus groups centered on adults with age-related macular degeneration, the core principles of eye imaging remain consistent across age groups.
He stated, “Imaging children’s eyes presents different challenges, but the chip-based system we’ve developed could make it easier to capture high-quality images quickly and comfortably.” The Akepa chip itself comprises over 300 optical and electronic elements, demonstrating a complex level of functionality within its remarkably small form factor. Beyond pediatric applications, Siloton’s photonic chip technology is designed to transform clinical-grade medical imaging into devices accessible anywhere, including off-planet, the company says.
The European Space Agency is already a customer, seeking a long-term solution for monitoring eye problems commonly experienced by astronauts during space travel. Support for the project also comes from key players in ophthalmology, including Moorfields Eye Hospital and the Macular Society, highlighting the broad potential of this miniaturized imaging technology.
Until now, our patient focus groups have largely involved adults, because age-related macular degeneration – the leading cause of sight loss in the UK – predominantly affects older people.
Alasdair Price, co-founder and CEO of Siloton
UCL Adapts OCT Technology for Children’s Vision Monitoring
Professor Ameenat Lola Solebo and Professor Marinko Sarunic are co-developing a modified optical coherence tomography (OCT) device with Siloton, specifically tuned for pediatric use and designed to extend monitoring beyond traditional clinical settings. The collaboration aims to enable assessment of children with retinal diseases not only in hospitals, but also within their communities and potentially even at home, a shift facilitated by the compact nature of the adapted technology.
“We want to bring this life-changing technology into children’s homes.” This expansion of access is critical, as early detection and intervention are often key to preventing vision loss in young patients. The device’s lenses will undergo specific tuning to ensure accurate focus within the unique structure of children’s eyes, while the external casing will be reshaped for a better fit and to minimize stray light interference during imaging.
This physical adaptation is paired with interactive modifications to the system, ensuring usability for a pediatric population, and builds on a successful initial trial involving adult patients last year. Professor Mike Lewis, NIHR Scientific Director for Innovation, highlighted the collaborative nature of the project, noting that “NIHR funding is helping researchers and industry partners work together to develop innovative technologies like this.” The technology’s design facilitates high-volume manufacturing, which is an important step toward widespread implementation and improved access to preventative eye care for children.
The work we have done at the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health and at Great Ormond Street Hospital has shown how transformational imaging can be, improving patient outcomes, and patient and family experience.
Lola Solebo, Professor at UCL and Consultant Ophthalmologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital
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