Topcon announces investment in Senseye to advance mental health diagnostics
Topcon Healthcare a global leader in digital health and ocular data solutions, has announced a strategic investment in Senseye, a U.S.-based developer of a mental health diagnostic platform powered by ocular biomarkers, marking the company’s first investment in technology for mental health and neuropsychiatry. Leveraging the eye as a non-invasive window into the brain, Senseye technology supports Topcon’s Healthcare from the Eye initiative to facilitate early detection of debilitating, chronic diseases enabling earlier, more effective, and less costly interventions, the company stated.
Senseye technology, which uses artificial intelligence (AI) and computer vision to analyze ocular metrics such as pupil dynamics and eye movement, is captured via a smartphone camera. The data are then translated into validated digital biomarkers to support diagnosis and monitoring of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), major depressive disorder (MDD), and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), the announcement stated, offering a non-invasive method for mental health assessment. The technology enables primary care physicians to incorporate mental health screenings into routine exams, particularly in underserved settings, while also allowing ECPs to identify and flag potential neuropsychiatric concerns during routine eye exams and refer patients as needed, the company advised.
“Senseye is breaking new ground by providing objective, measurable mental health assessments from the eye,” said Ali Tafreshi, CEO and president of Topcon Healthcare, Inc. “Their work exemplifies our Healthcare from the Eye vision, expanding the role of ocular data beyond eye and systemic disease into psychiatry. We are proud to support Senseye in accelerating their mission and see exciting opportunities for future collaboration.”
Topcon Healthcare’s investment is more than capital, it is validation from a global leader in digital health technology that the eye holds the key to understanding the brain and mind,” added David Zakariaie, founder and CEO, Senseye, Inc. “Together, we can bring objectivity, accessibility, and trust to mental health diagnostics worldwide.”
In making the announcement, the company also lauded the collaboration as laying the groundwork for new diagnostic modules within Harmony, Topcon Healthcare’s connected care platform that integrates imaging, AI analytics, and data sharing across clinical settings.
“By embedding Senseye’s technology into Harmony, Topcon aims to provide clinicians with a more holistic understanding of each patient’s mental and physical health status, captured through the eye,” the announcement stated.
The partnership with Senseye is one of several Topcon Healthcare has entered into in recent months. In July, the company announced a strategic investment in OKKO Health, a UK-based software medical device company that develops home-monitoring apps for vision testing. In May, Topcon entered into strategic partnerships with Pangaea Data, a health AI company, and Eye-Go, a Danish med-tech company specializing in ophthalmic drug delivery.
