As with many other cases, the earlier Alzheimer’s disease is detected, the more likely it is to slow its progression. Experimental implantable lenses may help by altering appearance in the early stages of the disease.
Developed by scientists at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM), a transparent biocompatible polymer lens is implanted behind the cornea that does not block the patient’s vision.
The device has a grid-like array of very small parallel lines etched directly into its surface. A layer of transparent hydrogel overlying the lattice has an array of parallel slits running through it as well. Under normal conditions, the lines and slits align to form a neutral pattern.
However, the presence of even minute amounts of biomarker chemicals associated with Alzheimer’s disease in the ocular fluid comes into contact with the hydrogel. At that time, the slit interval changes. The result, when combined with the lines underneath the lens itself, produces what is known as a moire pattern. This is a type of strobe pattern that is sometimes seen on television screens when finely striped clothing or other striped items are displayed.
The moire pattern on the lens is invisible to the patient, but could be detected by holding the microscope to the patient’s eye as part of a routine examination. This technique has already been tested on extracted porcine eyes.
A paper on this study, led by KIMM researcher JaeJong Lee, was recently published in a journal. bioactive material.
Source: National Science and Technology Research Council by EurekAlert
