Xtreme Research Award Winner Dr Christian Burri (right) with Dr Sebastian Rausch.
Swiss-based researcher Dr Christian Burri has been awarded the prestigious Heidelberg Engineering Xtreme Research Award for his work leveraging the high-resolution imaging and multi-modal functionality of Heidelberg Engineering’s Spectralis device.
The innovative research could lead to specific, personalised treatment for patients with retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) pathologies.
The award was presented at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) annual meeting in Seattle.
Dr Burri is affiliated with the optoLab Institute for Human Centred Engineering at Bern University of Applied Sciences and the Institute of Applied Physics at the University of Bern. His research is titled ‘Real time optical coherence tomography guided dosimetry in selective retina therapy’.
Dr Burri expressed his gratitude for the honour, stating, “This award marks the great successes in the research arena. I can honestly say that I was more thrilled to receive this than finishing my PhD.”
PIONEERING RESEARCH
Heidelberg Engineering’s Dr Sebastian Rausch lauded Dr Burri’s contribution, emphasising the broad impact of research in the field.
“Research in the field has the highest value as it reaches the greatest number of patients. This year’s winner is geared towards therapy, while many of the previous winners have focussed on diagnosis and management of therapies.”
Dr Burri’s study is a joint initiative with Meridian Medical AG Switzerland, a producer of treatment lasers.
“We have been exploring the potential of treating retinal pigment epithelium pathologies, and potentially other conditions, with selective retinal therapy, removing diseased cells without damaging neighbouring tissue, most importantly the photoreceptors,” Dr Rausch said.
“Not many people are working in this field and, other devices historically, have not been able to achieve all that is potentially possible. We are using optical coherence tomography to ensure the dosage and duration is highly controlled.
“This is the first time a specific, personalised treatment can be provided for these patients. As the neurosensory retina is not damaged, it should be possible to perform treatments close to, or even within, the fovea.”
OVERCOMING TREATMENT CHALLENGES
This form of selective retinal therapy (SRT) has, until now, faced the challenge that laser transmission through the eye, as well as the pigmentation of the retina, varies greatly from person to person. Each individual laser spot requires a different pulse of energy, and this has been a challenge for many researchers.
Dr Burri’s work addresses this with the Spectralis Centaurus prototype, a development collaboration with Heidelberg Engineering since 2017.
“For more than 20 years we have known that this treatment works but what was missing was a reliable, non-invasive control mechanism, which we believe we now have,” Dr Burri explained.
The prototype, approved by Swissmedic for clinical trials, has shown promising results in initial studies with diabetic retinopathy patients at Inselspital, Bern University Hospital. A new cohort of age-related macular degeneration patients will commence trials soon.
Preliminary data from these trials was presented at last year’s ARVO in Denver and further results will be shared within the next year, potentially paving the way for the technology to transition from research to clinical practice.