The group of Professor Atsushi OTA of the Advanced Science and Technology has presented a compact ocular fundus camaer that allows laymen to take a retina image using NIR light. It is expected to be used as a home healthcare device that can check not only one’s eyes but also detects lifestyle diseases such as hypertension and atherosclerosis. The system combines a high-speed camera that processes 1,000 images per second and a peripheral device that can realize functions and performances far beyond human vision such as controlling car driving. It uses sufficiently strong near-infrared light which does not burden the eye. The black-and-white image obtained by near-infrared light illumination is transformed by a technique which reproduces a color image from 3 near-infrared wavelengths into a retinal image of the eye fundus.

JST news release, June 18, 2018