Berkeley, CA, May 8th, 2004 Iris AO, Inc., an developer of advanced MEMS based adaptive optics systems, today announced that it had been awarded an Phase 1 SBIR grant from the National Eye Institute.

The grant will allow Iris AO to develop its high performance MEMS based deformable mirror. This novel approach to deformable mirror design promises very high dynamic range coupled with extremely good optical quality. The application of the Iris AO technology to imaging of the human fundus will enable in vivo visualization of single retinal cells.

About The National Eye Institute
The National Eye Institute (NEI) was established by Congress in 1968 to protect and prolong the vision of the American people. As one of the Federal government's National Institutes of Health (NIH), the NEI conducts and supports research that helps prevent and treat eye diseases and other disorders of vision. This research leads to sight-saving treatments, reduces visual impairment and blindness, and improves the quality of life for people of all ages.

Vision research is supported by the NEI through approximately 1600 research grants and training awards made to scientists at more than 250 medical centers, hospitals, universities, and other institutions across the country and around the world. The NEI also conducts laboratory and patient-oriented research at its own facilities located on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland.

About Iris AO, Inc.
Iris AO is building small-scale, micro-electro mechanical (MEMS) AO systems that can radically improve the performance of optical systems. Iris AO technologies offer major improvements in cost, size, power consumption and flexibility over traditional AO. Iris AO's systems can dramatically improve image quality for a host of applications such as biomedical/retinal imaging, satellite/airborne surveillance, portable laser communications, and optical guidance among many others. Iris AO can be contacted in the US at (510) 849-2375 or www.irisao.com.