IMCUSTOMEYE · Project

Compact Eye Diagnostic Devices That Detect Disease Before Symptoms Appear

healthTestedTRL 6

Right now, eye doctors check for diseases like glaucoma mainly by looking at the shape of your eye. But the real trouble starts deeper — in how stiff or stretchy the cornea is — long before the shape changes. This project built compact imaging devices that gently puff air or send sound waves at the cornea and watch how it moves, like tapping a drum to hear if it's tight or loose. That lets doctors catch problems like glaucoma and keratoconus earlier and tailor treatments to each patient's actual eye mechanics, not just averages.

By the numbers

€20 billion

Annual cost of prevalent eye diseases in Europe

Consortium partners

Countries represented in consortium

Industry partners in the consortium

SMEs in the consortium

Physical demo prototypes delivered

Total project deliverables

The business problem

What needed solving

Eye diseases like glaucoma and keratoconus cost Europe over €20 billion per year, yet current diagnostic tools only measure corneal shape — missing the underlying biomechanical changes that come first. This means doctors catch disease too late, prescribe treatments based on population averages instead of individual eye mechanics, and cannot accurately assess surgical risk for refractive procedures.

The solution

What was built

The project built four physical prototype devices: a compact OCT platform designed for miniaturised integration, a dynamic OCT prototype, a 3D air-puff OCT imaging system for corneal deformation measurement, and an acoustic stimulation vibrational OCT system. These were clinically validated on real patients in ophthalmology hospitals, delivering 17 total project deliverables.

Audience

Who needs this

Ophthalmic diagnostic device manufacturers (e.g., companies building OCT or tonometry instruments)Private ophthalmology clinic chains and hospital eye departmentsRefractive surgery centers and LASIK providers needing better pre-operative screeningIntraocular lens and contact lens manufacturers seeking patient-specific fitting dataMedical device distributors specializing in ophthalmology equipment

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Ophthalmic device manufacturing

mid-size

Target: Companies that build or sell diagnostic instruments for eye clinics

If you are an ophthalmic device manufacturer looking for the next generation of diagnostic instruments — this project developed compact OCT-based prototypes that measure corneal biomechanics in vivo. Eye diseases cost Europe over €20 billion per year, and early biomechanical screening opens a large addressable market. The 3D air-puff and acoustic vibrography modules were designed for integration into miniaturised devices.

Private ophthalmology clinics and hospital chains

enterprise

Target: Eye clinic networks and hospital ophthalmology departments

If you are running ophthalmology clinics and want to improve glaucoma and keratoconus detection rates — this project clinically validated imaging technology that measures actual corneal stiffness, not just shape. Current screening misses early-stage disease because standard intraocular pressure readings are distorted by individual corneal properties. These devices give patient-specific readings, enabling customised treatment decisions.

Optical component and lens manufacturers

mid-size

Target: Companies producing intraocular lenses, contact lenses, or refractive surgery equipment

If you are a lens or refractive surgery equipment maker dealing with unpredictable surgical outcomes — this project built tools that map each patient's corneal elasticity and viscoelasticity before surgery. Better pre-operative biomechanical data means more accurate lens selection and reduced risk of post-surgical ectasia. The consortium included 5 industry partners across 6 countries with direct clinical testing.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would this technology cost to license or integrate into our product line?

Pricing details are not available in the public project data. The consortium includes 3 SMEs and 5 industry partners, suggesting the technology was developed with commercial licensing in mind. Contact the coordinator through SciTransfer to discuss licensing terms and integration costs.

Can this scale to high-volume clinical use?

The project produced compact, miniaturised device prototypes specifically designed for clinical settings. The OCT platform was built for integration into smaller devices, and clinical validations were conducted in ophthalmology hospitals. Scaling to production volumes would require manufacturing partnerships.

What is the IP situation — can we license this?

As an Innovation Action (IA) under Horizon 2020, IP is owned by the consortium partners who generated it. With 5 industry partners and 3 SMEs in the consortium, commercial exploitation was a core objective. Licensing discussions should go through the coordinating institution (CSIC, Spain).

Has this been tested on real patients?

Yes. The project objective explicitly states clinical validations in ophthalmology hospitals to demonstrate diagnostic and treatment predictive potential. The technology was applied in patients in vivo, marking the first time these imaging concepts were used on living patients in ophthalmology.

How does this compare to existing eye diagnostic equipment?

Current screening tools rely on corneal shape and optics, which miss underlying biomechanical changes that precede disease development. IMCUSTOMEYE measures actual corneal elasticity and viscoelasticity — properties that standard instruments cannot assess. This gives earlier detection of keratoconus, ectasia risk, and more accurate intraocular pressure for glaucoma.

What regulatory approvals are needed?

Based on available project data, the devices would require CE marking for medical devices under EU MDR and FDA clearance for US markets. The clinical validation data from the project would support regulatory submissions, but the approval process timeline is not specified in the project data.

Consortium

Who built it

The IMCUSTOMEYE consortium is well-balanced for bringing technology to market: 12 partners across 6 countries (Spain, Germany, UK, Ireland, Poland, Switzerland), with a strong 42% industry ratio — 5 industry partners including 3 SMEs alongside 4 universities and 3 research organisations. This mix means the technology was developed with manufacturing and commercial reality in mind, not just academic interest. The coordinator is Spain's national research council (CSIC), a major European research institution with established technology transfer infrastructure. The geographic spread covers key European medical device markets.

AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICASCoordinator · ES
UNIVERSITY OF GALWAYparticipant · IE
INSTYTUT CHEMII FIZYCZNEJ POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUKparticipant · PL
2 EYES VISION SLparticipant · ES
MOORFIELDS EYE HOSPITAL NHS FOUNDATION TRUSTthirdparty · UK
THE UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOLparticipant · UK
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDONparticipant · UK

How to reach the team

Coordinated by CSIC (Spain) — SciTransfer can facilitate a direct introduction to the project lead and relevant industry partners.

Order a report on this consortium See AGENCIA ESTATAL CONSEJO SUPERIOR DE INVESTIGACIONES CIENTIFICAS profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore licensing the OCT biomechanics platform or integrating it into your diagnostic product line? SciTransfer connects you directly with the right consortium partner — contact us for a tailored introduction.

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