I-Corps: Translation Potential of a Diagnostic Platform to Detect Nervous System Diseases

The broader impacts of this I-Corps project involve the development of a fully automated, diagnostic platform designed to detect nervous system diseases with high accuracy, using a novel eye-tracking technology. This innovation has the potential to improve the diagnosis and management of diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and stroke by making early detection accessible in primary care clinics. By streamlining the diagnostic process, this technology could reduce the time and costs associated with traditional methods, providing patients with earlier access to treatment and improving health outcomes. Widespread integration of this technology into clinics could reduce the misdiagnosis rates currently associated with neurological conditions, reducing the human and economic burdens these diseases have on society. This I-Corps project utilizes experiential learning coupled with a first-hand investigation of the industry ecosystem to assess the translation potential of the new technology. The solution is based on the development of an eye-tracking technology that eliminates the need for manual calibration and enhances data quality through a multi-camera imaging system. The novel, auto-calibration and multi-sensor fusion techniques extend accessibility to patients with neurologic disease, oculomotor deficits, and cognitive impairment, expanding the practicality of eye tracking techniques for real-world clinical settings. Prior research demonstrated that this solution overcomes existing barriers for diagnostic eye tracking at scale by achieving high precision results even in patients who have difficulty using traditional eye tracking systems. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.