Author: Joel Harrison
Posted: 20 July 2010 16:06
In the Western World, glaucoma remains the second most common cause of blindness. It affects the optic nerve by increasing intraocular pressure and depriving the nerve of nutrition and oxygen. As a result, the nerve gradually atrophies and the patient becomes permanently blind. So far, the only treatment for this disease consists in lowering the elevated intraocular pressure, either surgically or with the use of special eye drops. Both these methods require regular follow-up exams, which is time consuming and inconvenient for patients. Another issue is the fact that changes in intraocular pressure may be sudden and might not show during examinations.
New contact lenses recently approved for sale in Europe are a breakthrough in the treatment and monitoring of glaucoma. They are a silicone hydrogel lens with an embedded microprocessor measuring changes in eye pressure and transmitting the results to a receiver. This way eye care practitioners will have all the data necessary for effective treatment and will be able to adjust it before irreparable damage to the optic nerve occurs.
The system, called Triggerfish, should also be approved by the American Food and Drug Administration by late 2011.
