Remote vision testing of central retinal acuity and comparison with clinic-based Snellen acuity testing in patients followed for retinal conditions.

Introduction: The unmet need for remote monitoring of visual function with home-based, patient-centric technologies became increasingly palpable during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many patients with chronic eye conditions lack access to office-based examinations. Here, we evaluate the efficacy of the Accustat® test, a virtual application for measuring near visual acuity on any portable electronic device via telehealth. Materials and methods: Thirty-three adult subjects from the telehealth remote monitoring service of a retina practice performed the Accustat® acuity testing at home. All patients underwent in-office general eye examination with additional fundoscopic examination and optical coherence tomography retina imaging. Best corrected visual acuity assessment using a Snellen chart was compared with remote visual acuity assessment with the Accustat® test. Visual acuity was analyzed and compared between the best-corrected near visual acuity potential achieved on the Accustat® and in-office distance best-corrected Snellen visual acuity. Results: The mean logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) visual acuities of all eyes tested using the Accustat test was 0.19 ± 024 and for the office Snellen test 0.21 ± 0.21. A linear regression model with 95% confidence intervals reveals that there is a strong linear relationship between Accustat logMAR and office Snellen logMAR. Bland-Altman analysis demonstrated 95.2% significant agreement between Accustat and Office Snellen's best corrected visual acuity. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC = 0.94) demonstrated a strong positive correlation between at home versus office visual acuity. Conclusion: There was a high correlation between the visual acuity measured with the Accustat near vision digital self-test and the office Snellen acuity test, suggesting the potential utility of scalable remote monitoring of central retinal function via telehealth.

Remote patient monitoring of central retinal function with MACUSTAT®: A multi-modal macular function scan.

Introduction: There is significant unmet need for patient-centric remote monitoring of visual function for chronic retinal diseases, as demonstrated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Macustat® central retinal function scan is a novel cloud-based digital health application for remote monitoring. The aim of this study is to assess the efficacy of the Macustat® compared to traditional in-office retinal evaluations. Materials and methods: Patients with underlying macular pathology underwent office-based retinal and visual acuity examinations and OCT macula imaging followed by remote tele-monitoring assessment with the Macustat. Central visual function was assessed with the multi-modal Macustat test using dynamic virtual Amsler grid testing, hyperacuity perimetry and visual acuity testing. The results were compared to the findings of the in-office comprehensive retina exam and OCT evaluation. Results: The foveal acuity potential registered with the Macustat test showed high correlation with the office Snellen acuity potential 96% of eyes registered Macustat acuity within 0.2 LogMAR of office acuity measurement. In Wet AMD eyes with CNV pathology documented on OCT, the Macustat foveal function scan showed a corresponding abnormality in 89% of any CNV eyes and 100% of all visually significant CNV. In normal eyes without any visually significant edema or CNV, more than 92% showed corresponding normal retinal function scan. Conclusion: The Macustat demonstrates high concordance with clinical findings using traditional diagnostic devices. Home monitoring with the Macustat® may offer complementary clinical utility as a telehealth tool for the assessment of visual acuity and macular function in patients at high risk for macular disease.

Preservation of vision after CaMKII-mediated protection of retinal ganglion cells.

Retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) are the sole output neurons that transmit visual information from the retina to the brain. Diverse insults and pathological states cause degeneration of RGC somas and axons leading to irreversible vision loss. A fundamental question is whether manipulation of a key regulator of RGC survival can protect RGCs from diverse insults and pathological states, and ultimately preserve vision. Here, we report that CaMKII-CREB signaling is compromised after excitotoxic injury to RGC somas or optic nerve injury to RGC axons, and reactivation of this pathway robustly protects RGCs from both injuries. CaMKII activity also promotes RGC survival in the normal retina. Further, reactivation of CaMKII protects RGCs in two glaucoma models where RGCs degenerate from elevated intraocular pressure or genetic deficiency. Last, CaMKII reactivation protects long-distance RGC axon projections in vivo and preserves visual function, from the retina to the visual cortex, and visually guided behavior.

3D Bioprinting of Vascularized Tissues for in vitro and in vivo Applications.

With a limited supply of organ donors and available organs for transplantation, the aim of tissue engineering with three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting technology is to construct fully functional and viable tissue and organ replacements for various clinical applications. 3D bioprinting allows for the customization of complex tissue architecture with numerous combinations of materials and printing methods to build different tissue types, and eventually fully functional replacement organs. The main challenge of maintaining 3D printed tissue viability is the inclusion of complex vascular networks for nutrient transport and waste disposal. Rapid development and discoveries in recent years have taken huge strides toward perfecting the incorporation of vascular networks in 3D printed tissue and organs. In this review, we will discuss the latest advancements in fabricating vascularized tissue and organs including novel strategies and materials, and their applications. Our discussion will begin with the exploration of printing vasculature, progress through the current statuses of bioprinting tissue/organoids from bone to muscles to organs, and conclude with relevant applications for in vitro models and drug testing. We will also explore and discuss the current limitations of vascularized tissue engineering and some of the promising future directions this technology may bring.