# Low Cost OCT Angiography with Spectroscopic Contrast

> **NIH NIH R43** · LUMEDICA, INC. · 2021 · $259,079

## Abstract

Project Summary
The overall objective of this research project is to develop a low cost implementation of optical coherence
tomography based angiography (OCTA). To meet this objective, we propose to incorporate several novel OCT
components and techniques into a new OCTA instrument which can be applied in research studies and offers
a pathway for commercialization and clinical use. This imaging system will use the agile design capabilities of
our low cost OCT engine, which has enabled us to offer the first commercial OCT research system for sale at a
price under $10,000. For this project we will implement faster scanning, up to A-scan rates of 80 kHz,
implement scan patterns that enhance efficiency of OCTA scan acquisition and expand the spectral range of
our OCT system to permit use of spectroscopic information to measure blood oxygenation.
OCTA has seen the most interest in assessing retinal vasculature as an alternative to fluorescein angiography
(FA) as it avoids the need for a fluorescent contrast agent. Low cost OCTA could expand application of the
technique beyond diagnosis of retinal disease in patients with symptoms to include wider patient screening. For
this project, we are particularly interested in developing use cases for OCTA in fields beyond ophthalmology,
including assessing tissue perfusion and neurological defects. We seek to demonstrate the feasibility of a low
cost OCTA system that is suitable for commercialization. To reach this goal, the following Specific Aims are
proposed: 1. Development of low cost OCTA engine and analysis software. 2. Adding spectroscopic information
to OCTA and 3. Test and validate OCTA system with in vivo pilot studies. Upon completion of this project we will
have demonstrated the feasibility of a low cost OCTA for structural and functional imaging of vascular networks
and provided justification for further commercial development.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10156095
- **Project number:** 1R43HL156668-01
- **Recipient organization:** LUMEDICA, INC.
- **Principal Investigator:** William Brown
- **Activity code:** R43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $259,079
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2021-01-01 → 2022-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10156095

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10156095, Low Cost OCT Angiography with Spectroscopic Contrast (1R43HL156668-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10156095. Licensed CC0.

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