PerZeption Secures Grant for AMD Vision Assessment Study

BOSTON, Sept. 11, 2026 /CourierPR/ -- PerZeption Inc., a company developing rapid, self-administered vision assessment tools, has secured a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Eye Institute (NEI).

The study will focus on developing a more efficient test to assess macular health, specifically by measuring how quickly vision recovers after exposure to bright light. This process, known as photostress recovery, is a sensitive indicator of macular health and can reveal functional deficits before they become apparent through standard acuity testing in patients with age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Currently, conventional testing methods reduce this process to a single recovery time, require specialized equipment and trained staff, and are not widely adopted. The funded work will develop an efficient achromatic and chromatic test on PerZeption's AIM platform, which will characterize the full recovery function rather than a single threshold. This approach is expected to yield a richer description of macular health in a format suitable for routine clinical use.

According to Jan Skerswetat, PhD, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of PerZeption, "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." Skerswetat expressed gratitude to the NEI for recognizing the potential of PerZeption's technology to support earlier detection of vision loss in these patients.

The SBIR 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 Scientific Reports. The Phase I project will generate the clinical data required to establish feasibility and support the company's regulatory pathway. The objective is to provide eye care providers with a fast, repeatable, sensitive, and quantitative measure of macular function that fits within routine clinical workflows.

The AIM platform, which enables testing of more than 20 visual functions, including measures for which no commercial device is currently available, consolidates testing onto a single self-administered platform. This 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.

The grant underscores the company's commitment to advancing the field of vision assessment and providing clinicians with innovative tools to improve patient care. With this support, PerZeption aims to bring its technology to market, enhancing the detection and management of age-related macular degeneration.