The Big Question

What if your eyes were a window to your health? 

The Problem

The most common diagnostic lab tests involve blood or urine samples that provide a snapshot of biomarkers at just one time point. Doctors determine prescription and dosing on this information, while the patient must adhere to that medication schedule for a treatment to be maximally effective. For some diseases, receiving even a diagnosis requires additional testing and repeat clinic visits. Many treatments often require routine monitoring to follow disease progression and to adjust medication and dosing as necessary. Continuous monitoring technology remains an important and evasive goal of biomarker sensing. 

The Current State

Tears offer several advantages over blood or urine for measuring a variety of biomarkers, including that tears can be readily and repeatedly accessed non-invasively. In fact, in-office testing of tear biomarkers is the current standard of care for diagnosis of dry eye disease (DED). DED causes a painful, gritty feeling in the eyes that can cause sensitivity and vision difficulty. People with DED rely on lubricants, doctor’s visits, and prescription treatments to manage symptoms. Treatment adjustments are made only with a full exam and laboratory processing of tears. This underdiagnosed condition affects at least 20 million Americans, predominantly women. 

The Challenge

The Ocular Laboratory for Analysis of Biomarkers (OCULAB) program envisions a wearable biomarker measurement system that allows for simultaneous, continuous monitoring of tear biomarkers. Because tears are clear and water-based, they offer a way to measure hormones, vitamins, and proteins with less risk to foul the delicate sensor than blood. Additionally, the OCULAB system aims to provide ultra-precise medication dosing for a personalized treatment via a closed-loop delivery system. The program aims to create a tear-based biomarker measurement system that can be inserted into the tear duct. 

The Solution

OCULAB aims to revolutionize how we think about continuous biomarker monitoring with a first disease target of addressing DED. The program has two technical areas: development of a continuous monitoring nanosensor for the tear duct and development of closed-loop therapeutic dosing. The OCULAB platform has the potential to make continuous monitoring a reality for other diseases, allowing for more precise interventions in ophthalmological, hormone, inflammatory, and other disorders. The program will incorporate the latest advances in wearable technology, bioassays, nanotechnology, and AI algorithms. 

Why ARPA-H

By bringing together researchers with diverse technical expertise, this program could bring continuous monitoring and dosing technology to fruition, enabling a more complete picture of health.