Siloton Wins £8.4M UK Contract to Bring Advanced Retinal Scans Beyond Hospitals

Bristol-based medical technology company Siloton has secured an £8.4 million contract, worth approximately €9.98 million, from Innovate UK to accelerate the development of compact eye-imaging technology for clinical and home use. The two-year agreement is expected to shorten the development timeline by up to two years and support the company's progress towards wider healthcare adoption. <Cite refs={["turn606542search0","turn606542search4"]}/>

Led by CEO Alasdair Price, Siloton is developing a new generation of retinal scanners designed to make detailed eye examinations easier to access. Its GiraffeOCT device uses optical coherence tomography (OCT), a non-invasive imaging technique that uses light to capture detailed views of the retina and help clinicians identify and monitor eye diseases.

Conventional OCT equipment is generally bulky, expensive and concentrated in hospitals and specialist eye clinics. This limits access for people who live far from healthcare facilities and can add pressure to already stretched ophthalmology services. Siloton's approach uses integrated photonic technology to shrink the system's optical components onto a chip smaller than a £1 coin, enabling a portable, binocular-style scanner. <Cite refs={["turn606542search0","turn606542search4"]}/>

The Innovate UK contract will fund work on both the in-clinic and at-home versions of GiraffeOCT, including clinical trials. Siloton will collaborate with South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, giving patients access to the technology during its development. York Health Economics Consortium will analyse the resulting data to improve estimates of the potential cost savings for the UK's National Health Service. <Cite refs={["turn606542search0","turn606542search3"]}/>

Alongside the core device, the programme will support the development of Siloton's second-generation CheetahOCT system. Built around its BlueJay photonic chip architecture, the device is designed to capture more detailed information about different retinal layers, potentially expanding the range of conditions that can be assessed. The same chip architecture is also being used in technology developed for monitoring astronauts' eye health. <Cite refs={["turn606542search0","turn606542search4"]}/>

The need for more accessible eye diagnostics is significant in the UK. Ophthalmology is the NHS's busiest outpatient specialty, with approximately nine million attendances in England during 2023/24. By the end of July 2026, nearly 623,000 people were waiting for an ophthalmology appointment, accounting for 8.7% of all NHS waiting-list cases. Portable imaging could help bring some monitoring closer to patients, although its clinical benefits and deployment will depend on further testing and regulatory progress. <Cite refs={["turn606542search0","turn606542search5"]}/>

The contract will also help Siloton expand its workforce, with the team expected to reach 16 employees by August 2028. Recruitment will focus on photonics, electronics, software, product development and manufacturing. The company is also exploring opportunities to manufacture and assemble its technology in the UK. <Cite refs={["turn606542search0","turn606542search1"]}/>

By combining miniaturised imaging hardware with clinical testing and a supporting cloud platform, Siloton aims to make retinal monitoring more accessible in community settings and eventually at home. The latest contract provides a significant step towards turning that goal into a deployable healthcare technology.