PerZeption Awarded NEI Phase 1 SBIR Grant for Age-related Macular Degeneration Study

BOSTON , Sept. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- PerZeption Inc. has been awarded a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Eye Institute (NEI) for the project " Efficient Achromatic and Chromatic Photostress Recovery Assessment for Age-related Macular Degeneration ." The study will be performed in collaboration with researchers at the Brunson Center for Translational Vision Research at the University of California, Irvine. How quickly vision recovers after bright light exposure is a sensitive indicator of macular health, capable of revealing functional deficits before they are apparent on standard acuity testing in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Conventional testing reduces this process to a single recovery time, requires specialized equipment and trained staff, and is therefore not widely adopted. The funded work will develop an efficient achromatic and chromatic test on PerZeption's Angular Indication Measurement (AIM) platform that characterizes the full recovery function rather than a single threshold, yielding a richer description of macular health in a format suited to routine clinical use. "An estimated 20 million people live with AMD in the United States alone. Detecting functional deficits caused by the disease early is a critical issue in eye care," said Jan Skerswetat, PhD, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of PerZeption. "We are grateful to the NEI for recognizing the potential of our technology to support earlier detection of vision loss in these patients." Because SBIR awards are peer-reviewed by vision scientists and clinicians, this selection indicates that the AIM platform addresses a recognized clinical need. The award follows validation studies of AIM tests across a range of visual functions and patient populations, published in journals including Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science , Optometry and Vision Science , and — earlier this month — Scientific Reports . The Phase I project will generate the clinical data required to establish feasibility and support the company's regulatory pathway, with the objective of providing eye care providers a fast, repeatable, sensitive, and quantitative measure of macular function that fits within routine clinical workflow. About PerZeption PerZeption Inc. develops rapid, self-administered, adaptive psychophysical vision assessment that builds personalized performance models, delivered as a cloud-based application on standard tablets, phones, and all-in-one computers. Its flagship platform, Angular Indication Measurement (AIM), enables testing of more than 20 visual functions, including measures for which no commercial device is currently available. By consolidating testing onto a single self-administered platform, PerZeption's technology reduces chair time and staff burden relative to bulky, single-purpose instruments, and requires minimal training or dedicated space. Cloud delivery supports secure in-clinic and remote testing with consistent, trackable results for clinicians, researchers, and pharmaceutical sponsors. Detailed information on the AIM platform and the company's clinical research is available at perzeption.vision. SOURCE PerZeption 21 % more press release views with Request a Demo × Modal title