Polyphotonix's mask is worn overnight and emits light at a particular wavelength, treating diabetic retinopathy as patients sleep
NETPark based medical innovator PolyPhotonix has secured a six-figure investment to ramp up work on its sleep mask, which could help to save the eyesight of diabetes patients.
Diabetic retinopathy – caused by high blood sugar levels which damage the retina – can cause blindness if left untreated, and it is one of the leading causes of sight loss in the UK. PolyPhotonix’s Noctura 400 Mask, however, delivers a dose of light therapy through closed eyelids while the wearer is asleep, a treatment which can reduce and even reverse the effects of diabetic retinopathy.
The current treatment pathway is to simply monitor patients who have early signs of the disease until their eyes deteriorate and qualify for treatment. By offering the Noctura 400 sleep mask at an earlier stage, however, patients’ vision can be helped, referrals to hospital are cut down and the later stage expensive and invasive injections are avoided, saving around £3,000 per patient per year.
Now the Sedgefield-based business has received investment from NPIF-FW Capital Debt Finance, which is managed by FW Capital and is part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund.
The funding is supporting the new customer service centre and promotion of the Noctura 400 mask in the UK following a partnership agreement with global diabetes equipment provider Embecta, based in New Jersey, US. In November 2022, the Noctura 400 received UK NHS approval, which led to last year’s deal with Embecta to put the product on sale in the UK and Ireland, with other countries to follow.
