Thank you to everyone who expressed interest in joining our recent webinar, New Innovations in Retina. The session brought together leaders in emerging retinal technologies to discuss how advances in functional imaging, metabolic biomarkers, and collaborative care models are transforming the future of retinal disease management.
As innovation continues to accelerate across eye care, the conversation highlighted several exciting developments that have the potential to improve earlier detection, enhance clinical decision-making, and strengthen collaboration between providers.
Functional Testing Beyond Traditional Imaging
One of the key presentations featured Connor Kapahi, who introduced POLI, a novel technology designed to assess macular function using polarized light. The fully automated test can be completed in approximately two minutes and offers an objective measure of retinal function that complements traditional structural imaging.
The discussion underscored the growing importance of incorporating functional assessment into clinical workflows, particularly as clinicians seek to identify subtle retinal changes earlier in the disease process. Early research presented during the webinar demonstrated POLI's ability to distinguish patients with early age-related macular degeneration (AMD) from age-matched controls before conventional contrast sensitivity changes became apparent.
These findings highlight the potential role of objective functional testing in supporting earlier intervention and more comprehensive retinal evaluation.
From Structure to Metabolism in Retinal Care
Patrick Sauvageau presented Zilia Ocular™, an emerging oculomics platform focused on measuring retinal oxygen saturation (StO₂) and other metabolic biomarkers.
The session explored how metabolic imaging may offer valuable insights into retinal health that extend beyond structural assessments alone. By quantifying ocular metabolism, clinicians may gain a deeper understanding of disease activity, progression, and treatment response.
As retinal care evolves toward more personalized approaches, technologies capable of measuring metabolic function could play an increasingly important role in precision medicine, helping practitioners tailor management strategies to individual patient needs.
