It is just about 0.2 millimetre in thickness, but 70 per cent of the eye’s visual processing takes place in the retina, says Dr Rajat N. Agrawal, ophthalmologist and retina specialist.

And yet, eye-care programmes in the country often do not extend beyond tackling a cataract, says Agrawal, concerned about the lack of data and focus on other eye ailments including diabetic retinopathy, retinitis pigmentosa or macular degeneration.

Agrawal is co-patent holder on the bionic eye, a device that gives visually-impaired patients functional visibility. The system includes a small camera in the patient’s glasses that captures images, a hand-held device that converts them into electrical pulses transmitted wirelessly to electrodes on the surface of the retina. Though sold in Europe, the product got a regulatory panel recommendation for approval to sell in the US only this September.

An India launch, though, is a while away, Dr Agrawal says, indicating cost is an inhibiting factor. It is priced at about $30,000. But there is a formal plan to develop an Indian bionic eye, he says, adding that preliminary discussions are underway.

Looking to bring in India-centric research on eye ailments, Agrawal founded a non-profit organisation — Retina — with both a local and international arm.

With a multi-fold objective, Retina is involved in creating a national database on retinal diseases, bringing in eye-related clinical trials, creating a fund to encourage researchers to do India-specific research, and training family physicians on retinal evaluation.

Retinal registry

In a pilot project to evaluate Ayurveda as a means to treat retinal diseases, Retina India is undertaking clinical trials with two Bangalore-based institutions and one in Kerala, says Agrawal. Besides understanding how ayurveda works, the study also looks at what point intervention is required, he explains. Retina, along with TCS, is developing a National Retinal Diseases Registry — a patient database to help connect patients to treatments, give a real-time analysis of prevalence in regions so that resources can be focused on them, he says.

The registry will also help clinical researchers look for patients with a specific profile of eye-ailment to study a product or treatment. Regulatory approvals and patient consent would be taken before any such trial is initiated, Agrawal says, adding that patient-specific details would not be in the registry, so researchers will have to go through formal processes to locate the patient.

At a social level, Retina India helps visually impaired students connect with volunteers to write exams. They also encourage inclusive education in mainstream schools, besides providing resources for higher education for the visually impaired in the IITs and Indian Institute of Science, he says.

>jyothi.datta@thehindu.co.in

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