C. Light Technologies uses AI to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease through retinal eye research

C. Light Technologies Raised an investment from Alzheimer’s Disease Drug Discovery Foundation (ADDF) AI technology that detects changes in eye movements and detects the initial stages of Alzheimer’s disease..

Through the diagnostic accelerator of ADDF, a collaborative research initiative backed by major philanthropists such as Leonard A. Lauder, Bill Gates, the Dolby family, the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation, Jeff Bezos, and MacKenzie Scott. I received an investment. C. Light recently completed its second and final seed rounds, raising $ 500,000, including an investment in ADDF. This brings the total seed funding to over $ 3 million.

This new investment will fund a new pilot study with the University of California San Francisco Memory and Aging Center to examine changes in fixation eye movements in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, commonly known as mild cognitive impairment.

ADDF’s Diagnostics Accelerator becomes a world-class research program for investigating biomarkers in blood, eyes, and genes, and technology-based biomarkers for identifying early subtle changes in people with Alzheimer’s disease. I have invested so far.

Above: This machine detects small eye movements to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease.

Image credit: C. Light Technologies

With the introduction of new treatments for Alzheimer’s disease in the clinic, this UCSF technology is C. Light’s new retinal motor technology could provide clinicians with a better way to measure disease progression and, ultimately, therapeutic efficacy.

The lack of objective tools for assessing neurological progression and disability has a significant impact on pharmaceutical developers. The development of treatments for the central nervous system is extremely difficult, with a success rate of only 8% from conception to market.Clinical
Due to the inefficient methodology for assessing drug efficacy, trials can take up to 10 years to bear fruit in this area. This is C. This is where the lights can have the greatest impact.

In a statement, C.Light co-founder Christy Sheehy said the drug for Alzheimer’s disease has been on the market for almost 20 years, partly because of the slow progress of drug developers. I didn’t have a viable biomarker. It can be used to effectively stratify patients and track their illness in detail. With the investment of ADDF, C. Light will be able to do that.

Above: Christy Sheehy is C. Co-founder of Light Technologies.

Image credit: C. Light Technologies

Eye movements have been used for decades to quickly triage brain health. Therefore, the doctor asks you to “follow my finger” with your eyes. More than 30 years of research have shown that eye movements in patients with Alzheimer’s disease are affected by the disease, but so far these eye movements have only been measured on a larger scale. ..

In C. Light’s study, eye movement tests are performed to the microscopic level for faster and earlier assessments. C. Light’s fast, non-invasive, objective technology allows clinicians to study and measure eye movements on a cellular scale. This means that eye movements that are one-hundredth the size of human hair are possible, allowing doctors to better monitor the patient’s illness. Treat it more effectively.

C. Wright said the test was easy for the clinician to manage. The patient places his chin on the chin rest and focuses on the target for 10 seconds. This test does not require eye dilation and allows the patient to blink during the test.Very low level laser light is shown through the pupil
Sensitive cameras reflect on the patient’s retina while recording cell-level movements in high-resolution video. Next, this eye movement is extracted up to 1000 times per second, C. It will be sent to Light’s advanced analytics platform.

According to Shihee, C. Wright says he is creating a whole new stream of data about brain health through his eyes. She said the company’s growing database and associated AI could change the way neurological disorders are monitored and treated for future generations. Ultimately, she said the company is working to improve the lifespan and quality of life of our loved ones.

Second round seed funders include ADDF, Wisconsin River Business Angel, and Abraham Investments.

Howard Fillit, a doctor and founding executive director of ADDF, said in a statement that more than 6 million people in the United States are affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Technology can now collect data from patients in a variety of ways, and AI can find patterns to detect early signs of demenita. C. Wright’s retinal measurement solution and UCSF study may help clinicians identify defects, enabling early intervention and faster therapeutic intervention, he said.