Compact Imaging (CI) and National University of Ireland Galway (NUI Galway) have jointly announced a second extension of a research collaboration in MRO (Multiple Reference OCT), CI's miniature low-cost optical sensor technology.In a statement, the parties said that MRO brings the powerful noninvasive imaging and biometry capabilities of optical coherence tomography (OCT) to high volume non-clinical applications, such as mobile health monitoring, identity verification and non-destructive testing (NDT).The original collaboration agreement was signed in 2012 and first extended in 2014. The new extension runs through 2017.”Compact Imaging's MRO technology is highly disruptive, offering a greater than 100 times reduction in size and cost compared to conventional OCT systems,” said Don Bogue, CEO of Compact Imaging. “Ultimately, MRO photonic modules will be consistent in size, cost and operating power with integration into mobile monitoring devices.”CI also recently announced an expansion of its intellectual property (IP) portfolio with the issuance of a 15th US patent. In addition to its collaboration with NUI Galway, the Company works with the Irish Photonic Integration Centre (IPIC) in Cork, Ireland, where it is producing the first miniature prototypes of the MRO photonic module.Compact Imaging's multiple reference OCT, or MRO, technology addresses the size, cost, complexity and operating power limitations of conventional clinic-scale OCT systems. Conventional OCT was first commercialized in the early 2000s and its noninvasive, non-ionizing imaging capabilities have revolutionized diagnostic imaging in clinical and research settings. MRO, by contrast, is designed for use in high volume mobile monitoring applications. The Company's IP centers on its MRO system.Professor Martin Leahy, Chair of Applied Physics at NUI Galway and Director of the Tissue Optics and Microcirculation Imaging (TOMI) Laboratory, will continue to direct the collaboration's research efforts in Galway.Professor Leahy said: “This further substantial cash investment is a very welcome endorsement of our work by the board of Compact Imaging and its investors. The collaboration has been very successful because both sides understand the need to align our interests. Our interest in providing substantial research topics for our PhD students and publishing our results has always been wholeheartedly supported by Compact Imaging, not the least through their rapid assessment and protection of generated intellectual property. In turn, together we have been able to deliver substantial advances of the technology and its applications which are clearly valued by Compact Imaging.”

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