Kubota Pharma: NASA Ophthalmic Equipment Development-60% of Astronauts Eye Diseases
NASA Deep Space Mission:
A joint development agreement was signed with NASA on the 18th.
We make the world’s first ultra-small sized ophthalmic device easy to carry in space.
Used by astronauts for early detection of such eye diseases.
Research and development expenses will be borne entirely by NASA.
It has recently been found that more than 60% of astronauts who have stayed in space for a long time suffer from eye disease with the risk of visual impairment and blindness.
It is thought that body fluid and cerebrospinal fluid etc. press the optic nerve and the eye at the time of takeoff and space flight.
Optical coherence tomography (OCT):
Develop an instrument called optical coherence tomography (OCT).
Used for diagnosis of retina, optic nerve and ophthalmologic diseases.
Currently, a commercially available OCT is installed at the International Space Station.
However, they are large, not radiation resistant, and are not suitable for planetary exploration.
About Kubota Pharmaceutical:
We have been developing binocular-sized OCT, assuming that patients with retinopathy will use them at home.
It has been successful in clinical trials in the United States in October 2006, and it is reported that NASA sued development for Kubota Pharmaceutical at the end of 18th.
Nihon Keizai Shimbun
https://r.nikkei.com/article/DGXMZO42606090Y9A310C1TJ2000?s=2
https://sw4596.swcms.net/ja/news/newslist/auto_20190314490831/pdfFile.pdf