the Honda Foundation (2024.09.30) Honda Foundation Public Interest Incorporated Foundation “2024 45th Honda Award” awarded to Dr. James G. Fujimoto ~
Contributing to the development and spread of optical coherence tomography (OCT) ~ The Honda Foundation, a public interest
incorporated foundation (founders: Soichiro Honda and Benjiro Brothers, chairman: Hiroto Ishida), is Japan’s first organization in the field of science and technology to award awards for research results that contribute to the creation of a civilization full of humanity. The Honda Prize, an international award, was established in 1980. This year’s 45th Honda Prize was awarded to James G., who contributed to the development of optical coherence tomography (OCT) and the commercialization and clinical application of OCT in ophthalmology, cardiology, and biomedical research.・We have decided to present the award to Dr. Fujimoto (Elif Thomson Crowned Professor, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Institute of Electronics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA). Image
URL: https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/68733/9/68733-9-08d0a00236af6f9433eb3d906d8489f5-2007×1044.png
resolution. Masu. This technology is applied not only in multiple medical fields, but also in basic research and manufacturing, and can be used in combination with fiberscopes, endoscopes, and laparoscopes to take images inside the body. This enables “optical biopsy,” which images in real time and does not require the collection of tissue pieces like traditional excisional biopsy. To advance the development of OCT technology, Dr. Fujimoto formed an
interdisciplinary collaborative research team spanning basic research, engineering, clinical medicine, and industry. In the late 1980s, such efforts were rare and groundbreaking, and could be called a pioneer in research and development through collaboration between medicine and engineering. Dr. Fujimoto and his colleagues first aimed to utilize OCT in ophthalmology. MD-PhD student David Hwang, who was part of Dr. Fujimoto’s research group, spoke with Dr. Eric Swanson, an expert in satellite optical communications, and Dr. Carmen Puliafito and Dr. Joel Schuman, experts in retina and glaucoma. In close cooperation with , we invented the OCT testing device. It is now used as a standard in ophthalmology around the world, with 20 to 30 million procedures performed annually worldwide. It enables early detection of conditions such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and glaucoma, allowing treatment before patients experience irreversible vision loss. Also, intravascular OCT, which allows detailed evaluation of conditions inside the coronary arteries, was pioneered by visiting researcher Dr. Mark Brzezinski, an MD-PhD cardiologist. And a start-up company led by Dr. Swanson and industrial investment from medical device companies played a key role in the commercialization of OCT in ophthalmology and cardiology. Currently, more than 100 academic research groups and companies are working to develop clinical applications of OCT.
https://prcdn.freetls.fastly.net/release_image/68733/9/68733-9-90cf0dab4332e9388ab7e9b88531b23a-2087×1534.png OCT has various applications in many medical specialties Since testing using an OCT device takes only a few seconds, it has become an indispensable diagnostic method in modern medical settings, greatly shortening the time to confirm a diagnosis and reducing medical costs. Masu. In the future, OCT devices could be used in opticians, pharmacies, and community clinics to screen for diabetes, neurological disorders, and other systemic diseases. In the field of cardiology, intravascular OCT is also becoming popular as a technology used to guide the insertion of stents into arteries to treat myocardial infarction, and recent clinical studies have shown that intravascular OCT can reduce post-treatment complications. It has been shown that In this way, Dr. Fujimoto’s accomplishments, which led the OCT research team and contributed consistently from the proposal to development and dissemination of OCT, are illustrative of the harmony between science and technology and humanity, and the valuing of both the human and natural environments. Consistent with the basic founding policy of the Honda Foundation, which has long advocated and advocated the importance of eco-technology* since its founding, this award was recognized as worthy of the Honda Award, and the award was presented to Dr. I did. The presentation ceremony for the Honda Prize will be held at the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo on November 18, 2024, and the doctor will be presented with a medal, a certificate, and a total of 10 million yen as an additional prize. *Ecotechnology: The term “earth-friendly” evoked by ecology. Beyond its limited meaning, we always value “human beings” as a method for solving various problems in society. Philosophy of science and technology that aims for harmony with both the “natural environment” and the “human environment” [About the Honda Foundation] The Honda Foundation was established in December 1977 with donations from Soichiro Honda, founder of Honda Motor Co., Ltd., and his younger brother Benjiro. At our foundation, we refer to technologies that value both the natural environment and the human environment as “ecotechnology,” and we are engaged in three activities with the aim of developing and expanding this technology. 1. The Honda Award is an international award that recognizes research results that have achieved remarkable results in accordance with the concept of ecotechnology. 2. “International
symposium/roundtable” to discuss and create ideas for solving various problems facing modern society 3. “Y-E-S Program” to discover and develop young engineer and scientist leaders who will lead the next generation Through these activities, we aim to “contribute to the creation of a civilization full of humanity.” For reference) Please see the “Explanation of Achievements” on the Honda Foundation website.
https://www.hondafoundation.jp/commemoration/index/285/year:2024