Topcon Healthcare Launches IDHea to Advance Digital Research in Eye Care and Oculomics
Topcon Healthcare announced the launch of IDHea Inc., the Institute for Digital Health, a new company dedicated to transforming clinical research in eye care and the emerging field of oculomics—the study of ocular biomarkers that reflect systemic health.
Founded by Topcon as the lead investor, IDHea will operate as an independent entity with its own governance structure and collaborate closely with a global consortium of industry, clinical, and technology partners.
Building on Topcon Healthcare’s strong global footprint in ophthalmology, optometry, and US primary care eye screening, IDHea integrates multimodal imaging data, artificial intelligence (AI), and modern research infrastructure to accelerate drug discovery and enable more inclusive clinical studies. Through partnerships spanning primary care networks, eye care providers, academic institutions, and life-science organizations, IDHea is developing an interoperable data ecosystem designed to advance biomarker discovery, translational research, and clinical decision support.
With its platform now live and collaborations underway, IDHea is engaging partners across key therapeutic areas including:
Geographic atrophy (GA) and wet age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
Diabetic retinopathy
Glaucoma and neuroprotection
Systemic disease applications of oculomics in cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurodegenerative disorders
According to Topcon, IDHea is building one of the most comprehensive data platforms in ophthalmic and oculomics research. By combining large-scale imaging datasets with AI-driven analytics and precision patient selection tools, the platform enables faster, smarter studies in diagnostics, therapeutics, and population health. The eye’s unique transparency into neural and microvascular tissue gives IDHea a window into the relationship between ocular changes and systemic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s. By integrating imaging, clinical, and genomic data, the platform supports the discovery of new biomarkers and therapeutic targets with potential impact far beyond ophthalmology.
The IDHea platform integrates seamlessly with electronic medical records (EMRs) and meets global privacy and regulatory standards. It allows sponsors, reading centers, and contract research organizations (CROs) to: generate real-world evidence, combine manual and AI-assisted image grading, monitor data quality, and protocol compliance through real-time dashboards.