Description du projet :
Since 2000, we know that non-visual blue light is detected by one specific photoreceptor of the eye (melanopsin). This has physiological and psychological effects on human being health such as vision diseases, sleep disorders, circadian cycle perturbations and other important functions of the human body.
Because blue light is also perceived visually, it is very difficult to isolate the non-visual perception against the visual perception of the blue light. Today, there are no commercial dedicated device to excite specifically melanopsin. Therefore very few scientific studies have been so far conducted to investigate the
effect of non-visual blue light on the human being.
With internal funds (master thesis and internal research projects) we already developed, build and published an ophthalmic device able to excite specifically melanopsin and thus to isolate the non-visual effect of the blue light. Our goal was to reach the proof-of concept (TRL3). In order to obtain ethic approval
for clinical studies, the device has to be reengineered (TRL6). This will allow us to undertake two clinical assessments of the device, one in ophthalmology and one in sleep disorder.
These initial studies are essential to raise interest of the research community for further investigation, and of the market for diagnostic tools. A successful device able to evaluate non-visual blue light would also be able to address any kind of light perception (for example full-field chromatic pupillometry), allowing the
device to be useful in other ophthalmic fields. This opens a wider market compared to only clinical research.
Our team was already informally built around the development of our first instrument; this team gathered scientists and clinicians with the needed expertise: optomechanics, electronics, ophthalmology, vision science, and chronobiology. Thus, this funding application provides a formal framework for our team.
Research team within HES-SO:
Bressy Pierre
Partenaires académiques: GEISER Martial, HEVS
Statut: Ongoing
SWITCH edu-ID
Administration
