Professor of Optometry and Director of the IU Borish Center for Ophthalmic Research
Millions of people in the United States—and many more around the world—have suffered vision loss or blindness as a result of diabetic retinopathy, a complication of the chronic disease. Some didn’t even know they had diabetes when the vision loss occurred.
Early detection of the condition can lead to effective treatment. Professor Ann Elsner, a leading expert in retinal imaging, and her team, which includes IU senior scientist Benno Petrig and optical engineer Matt Muller, wanted to make diagnosis more affordable Together, they developed a low-cost laser-scanning digital camera that is easy to use and cheaper to build and started their own company, Aeon Imaging, LLC
“Too many people are going blind because their diabetic retinopathy isn’t discovered soon enough for effective treatment. This project is eventually about putting our health dollars where they count.”