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neos®: The world’s first neurophthalmoscope and the future of measuring brain health
The need for better diagnosis and monitoring of neurological disorders
Diagnosing neurological conditions is often challenging, time-consuming, and expensive, requiring specialized diagnostic equipment and expertise. Moreover, as many neurological disorders worsen and become incurable over time, detecting and treating them early can prevent further harm and improve health outcomes. Eye and pupil movements offer a non-invasive, objective measurement of brain function, acting as a complement to structural imaging techniques.
Measuring brain function by analyzing eye movements
Award-winning company machineMD, has developed neos®, a groundbreaking measurement device that is set to democratize the field of neuro-ophthalmology. neos® is the result of a collaboration between machineMD, CSEM, and other partners, including clinicians. The device measures eye and pupil movements by leveraging the latest technological advances in eye tracking via a virtual reality (VR) headset, combined with machineMD’s proprietary examination protocols. The industry -leading, commercially available VR headset displays visual stimuli and captures gaze position, pupil size, and other clinically relevant parameters.
Decades of clinical research and peer-reviewed publications show the link between eye movements and neurological disorders, including multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. As the basic circuitry of visual and oculomotor processing is well known, a targeted examination of eye and pupil movements may allow the precise localization of lesions within it. These changes hold potential as digital biomarkers of brain diseases. By providing neurologists and ophthalmologists with standardized and quantitative eye movement data through non-invasive examinations, machineMD steps closer to its objective to improve clinical accuracy for diagnosis and monitoring of people living with neurological disorders.
How CSEM enhanced the eye tracking performance of neos®
As neos® is based on a commercial VR headset, it was adapted to enhance its eye tracking performance, even for people with imperfect vision. “CSEM developed specialized algorithms that use computer vision and machine learning techniques. To obtain the levels of accuracy needed, the system is now calibrated to each person’s morphology,” explains Andrea Dunbar, Business Developer for Data and AI at CSEM.
“Thanks to CSEM, neos® stands out with its custom eye gaze calibration technology, which enhances accuracy and surpasses default calibration by up to 16%. The solution’s scalability and flexibility cater to diverse customer needs, while its robustness in handling variations in eye morphology and texture ensures reliability,” confirms Dominic Senn, CEO of machineMD.
neos® makes neuro-ophthalmology more accessible and effective
neos® is launching in Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America, where it will democratize the field of neuro-ophthalmology by providing a tool for systematic eye movement examinations to medical professionals. “neos® is a non- invasive medical device which standardizes eye exams that are highly relevant to neurologists, ophthalmologists, and optometrists. neos® provides a fast, automated, and quantitative assessment of eye movements and pupillary function using VR-based eye tracking, including 8 tests in just 12 minutes. In addition to the benefits for healthcare professionals, our head-mounted solution enables greater patient comfort during examinations,” concludes Senn.