Science and your eyes; eight upcoming advancements
Tiny Diamonds Deliver Medicine
People with glaucoma rely on drops to control elevated pressures in their eyes. This pressure can, over time, lead to blindness. It can often be difficult for patients to get a true dose of the eye drops and to take them on schedule. Researchers from UCLA may have solved both problems with contact lenses made from super-tiny nanodiamonds. Coated with time-release medication, these lenses have the ability to deliver the right dose in the right place at the right time. This project will begin animal studies soon.
New Applications for HIV Medications
Talk about a new purpose -- doctors have found that drugs most often used to treat HIV and AIDS can also help with a leading cause of blindness: age-related macular degeneration. So far, the drugs -- called nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) -- have been tested only in mice, so there's a long way to go before they may be approved for this use on people. When they are, the good news is they're already on the market, they're not costly, and they're safe.
Gene Therapy Might Restore Sight
Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley placed a gene into the retinas of blind mice with a condition similar to retinitis pigmentosa. Afflicting people of all ages, retinitis pigmentosa causes a gradual loss of vision, akin to losing pixels in a digital camera. Sight is lost from the periphery to the center, usually leaving people with the inability to navigate their surroundings. Some 100,000 Americans suffer from this group of inherited retinal diseases. The gene therapy allowed the animals to tell whether lights were flashing. They added a chemical "switch" to help brain cells respond to light. This technique has also helped restore sight in dogs. With luck, one day it will work in humans.
Could Your TV Diagnose Glaucoma?
Scientists at City University London mapped eye movements while people watched TV. They found that healthy eyes follow a different path than ailing ones. The study is in the early stages, but the researchers hope it will translate into easier -- and earlier -- diagnosis and treatment for glaucoma and other conditions. This technology could prove especially beneficial in places where people have limited or no access to an eye doctor or clinic, but they can sit down and watch a screen.
An Implant to Sense Glaucoma Pressure
Pressure checks at the doctor’s office are routine if you have glaucoma. High intraocular pressures can damage your optic nerve and lead to blindness. Your doctor could one day implant an electronic sensor in your eye to help track changes in the pressure without an office visit. The wireless gadget, now under development at the University of Washington, will send data to a handheld device or a smartphone and could also have the ability to transmit straight to your doctor.
3-D Printing and Your Eyes
A traditional glass -- or more likely acrylic -- prosthetic eye can cost $5,000 and takes hours to mold and hand paint. Despite the time and expense, it may never look quite right. Thanks to 3-D printing, the cost for a prosthetic eye could decrease to as low as $150. This new technology would even allow for precise color matching with the existing eye. The project, a joint effort between Britain’s Manchester Metropolitan University and London’s Fripp Design, aims to have eyes ready for market within a year.
Smartphones Bring the Doctor’s Office to You
Products currently on the market are improving access to eye care worldwide. Peek and D-eye pair a small lens attachment with an app that turns a smartphone into a portable exam tool. They let doctors check eyes in places that bulky equipment just can't go. The iExaminer System marries an iPhone with the device your primary care doctor uses to look into your eyes. Detailed pictures can be taken and shared with an expert if a problem is suspected.
Tiny Needles Could Replace Eye drops
What if you could get a shot that would deliver medicine right to the specific spot in your eye that needs it -- and you wouldn't even feel it? Researchers at Georgia Tech have come up with needle points so fine that drugs can be injected without pain. The intended use for these needles involves treatments for glaucoma and an overgrowth of blood vessels in the cornea -- both of which can harm your vision if not treated. To date, the needles have only been tested in animals.
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