IOP Business Start-Up Award: Siloton

Siloton has developed a revolutionary personal eye scanner that will improve the wellbeing of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients by helping them retain their sight for longer. It will increase the efficiency of the healthcare system by relieving pressure on outpatient clinics as well as being cheaper to implement than current solutions. Finally, it will transform our understanding of disease progression by consensually gathering longitudinal data with high granularity on each patient, unlocking new avenues for medical research.

At the heart of the Siloton device is a proprietary photonic chip called Akepa, that implements subsurface imaging using a technique analogous to a higher-resolution ultrasound, called optical coherence tomography (OCT). OCT is widely used in ophthalmology to diagnose and monitor a range of eye diseases, including AMD. Current systems are made from traditional optics, meaning they are confined to hospitals and high-end optometrists due to their cost, size 0and fragility. As a result, late-stage AMD patients are losing sight unnecessarily, because they cannot access OCT scans regularly enough, and a scan is required to know whether they need treatment.

Siloton’s technology can stop this. By designing a portable and cost-effective personal OCT scanner around Akepa, the company has unlocked the possibility for each patient to be prescribed their own device that they can use wherever they are, and whenever they need to. By scanning two or three times a week, changes in their condition will be picked up immediately through automated extraction of key disease metrics. This will enable highly precise, personalized treatment, reducing unnecessary sight loss while simultaneously freeing up hospitals to focus on diagnosis and treatment.

Siloton has engaged with patients and clinicians throughout the product development process, ensuring the company is building a device that is both practical and that satisfies the needs of the end user.