Patient Information Page

At Novai, we're here to help protect your vision by catching disease changes in the eye early. Our special technology, called DARC, can find signs of eye problems much sooner than regular tests, giving you a better chance to protect your vision.

Our Technology: DARC

DARC is a breakthrough tool that spots early signs of eye diseases by looking at tiny changes in your eye cells. Here’s how it works:

Finding Sick Cells: DARC highlights sick cells in your eye, making them glow in images taken of the back of the eye, so doctors can spot them easily.

Early Warning: It finds problems before they become big and predicts future vision loss before it happens in diseases like macular degeneration.

Benefits for Patients

Prevent Vision Loss: Early detection can save your eyesight.
No Pain: The test is painless and minimally invasive.
Track Progress: DARC helps doctors see how well treatments are working.

Diseases WE TARGET

DARC helps detect and monitor several eye and brain diseases early, including:

Glaucoma

What it is: Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that damage the optic nerve, the nerve that connects the eye to the brain. This damage is often due to high pressure inside the eye. There are two main types: open-angle glaucoma (most common) and angle-closure glaucoma.

How it affects you:

Early stages: Glaucoma often has no symptoms at first. Vision loss begins with peripheral (side) vision, making it easy to overlook until significant damage has occurred.

Progression: As the disease progresses, you may start noticing blind spots in your peripheral vision. Without treatment, these blind spots can move inward towards your central vision.

Advanced stages: In severe cases, untreated glaucoma can lead to tunnel vision (narrowing of the field of vision) and eventually total blindness. Vision loss from glaucoma is irreversible, but treatment can help slow or prevent further damage.

Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD)

What it is: AMD is an eye disease that affects the macula, the small central part of the retina responsible for detailed vision. There are two types: dry AMD (more common and less severe until it is advanced) and wet AMD (less common but more severe due to abnormal blood vessels growing under the retina).

How it affects you:

Early stages: Dry AMD progresses slowly and might cause slight blurring or loss of central vision, making it harder to recognise faces or read.

Progression: As it advances, it can lead to a larger blind spot in the centre of your vision. Wet AMD can cause sudden and severe vision loss due to leakage or bleeding from the abnormal blood vessels.

Daily life impact: AMD affects tasks that require sharp vision, like reading, driving, and recognising faces. While it doesn't cause complete blindness, the loss of central vision can significantly impact your independence and quality of life.

Diabetic Retinopathy

What it is: Diabetic retinopathy is a diabetes complication that affects the eyes. It's caused by damage to the blood vessels of the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye (retina).

How it affects you:

Early stages: Often, there are no symptoms in the early stages. Blood vessels in the retina can leak fluid or bleed, causing swelling and deposits.

Progression: As the condition worsens, new abnormal blood vessels can form, leading to further bleeding, scarring, and retinal detachment.

Advanced stages: Symptoms might include blurred vision, floaters (dark spots or strings), difficulty seeing at night, and eventually, significant vision loss or blindness if untreated. Diabetic retinopathy can be managed and treated if caught early, preventing severe vision loss.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

How it affects you:

Early stages: Symptoms can be unpredictable and vary widely. Common early symptoms include fatigue, numbness or weakness in limbs, and vision problems such as blurred or double vision.

Progression: As the disease progresses, it can cause muscle spasms, difficulty with coordination and balance, speech difficulties, and cognitive changes.

Advanced stages: Severe cases can lead to paralysis and loss of vision. Optic neuritis (inflammation of the optic nerve) can cause pain and temporary vision loss, which often improves with treatment.

What it is: MS is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system attacks the protective sheath (myelin) that covers nerve fibres, causing communication problems between the brain and the rest of the body.

Alzheimer’s Disease

How it affects you:

Early stages: Early symptoms include difficulty remembering recent events or conversations, confusion, and trouble organising thoughts. You might also experience mild changes in personality.

Progression: Memory problems worsen, and individuals may struggle to recognise familiar people and places. They might have difficulty with language, reasoning, and performing routine tasks.

Advanced stages: In advanced stages, individuals may lose the ability to carry on a conversation, respond to their environment, and perform basic daily activities. They may require full-time care. Vision changes can include difficulty with depth perception and interpreting visual information, which can increase the risk of falls and accidents.

What it is: Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder that leads to memory loss, cognitive decline, and changes in behaviour. It’s the most common cause of dementia in older adults.

Parkinsons Disease

What it is: Parkinson’s disease is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects movement. It occurs when nerve cells in the brain that produce dopamine, a chemical that coordinates movement, die or become impaired.

How it affects you:

Early stages: Symptoms may start subtly with a slight tremor in one hand or difficulty with small tasks like writing or buttoning a shirt.

Progression: Over time, the tremors may become more pronounced, muscles can become stiff, and movements can become slower and more difficult (bradykinesia). Balance and coordination problems also develop.

Advanced stages: Non-motor symptoms can include sleep disturbances, depression, and cognitive impairment. Vision issues may include difficulty moving the eyes smoothly and a reduced ability to interpret visual information.