People with glaucoma can go blind if left unchecked. An experimental new contact lens is designed to help by monitoring glaucoma symptoms and automatically releasing medication when needed.
Glaucoma typically occurs when aqueous humor accumulates in the eye faster than it can drain due to blockage of the eye’s drainage channels. This raises intraocular pressure (IOP), which can damage the optic nerve and lead to blindness.
Luckily, there are eye drops available to help lower eye pressure, but they work best if you continuously change the dosage based on your current eye pressure.
Created by scientists at Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) in South Korea, the wireless power device incorporates an IOP sensor made of hollow gold nanowires, a drug-filled drug delivery system and an integrated circuit chip. I’m here. The latter responds to any changes by monitoring IOP levels via sensors and triggering the delivery system to increase or decrease dosage accordingly.
A test done in rabbits found that contact lenses were highly effective in managing the dosage of the glaucoma drug Timolol, based on changes in the intraocular pressure of the animals. It also showed excellent chemical stability and biocompatibility. Additionally, scientists believe feedback systems can be incorporated into other types of wearables to manage other states.
A paper on this research, led by Prof. Sei Kwang Hahn and Dr. Tae Yeon Kim, was recently published in a journal. Nature CommunicationsHahn previously led the development of another type of contact lens intended to prevent blindness in diabetics.
We’ve seen experimental contact lenses that release timolol before, but most are designed to gradually release the drug over time at a consistent rate – no At different speeds as the IOP changes.
Source: Postec
