A new contact lens has been created by scientists, that releases a drug on the eye whenever high pressure is detected or begins to rise. This is a ground-breaking creation which could be pioneered as a new treatment for Glaucoma, the most common disease amongst the eyes.
Glaucoma affects 10% of people above the age of 75. When fluid builds up within the eye, pressure is greatly increased, eventually causing damage to the optic nerve located at the back of the eye. Without treatment, Glaucoma can lead to severe sight loss and potentially blindness.
This new invention, which has been developed by researchers in China, senses rising pressures in the eye (caused by Glaucoma), triggering it to release an anti-glaucoma drug ‘Brimonidine’ to treat it. Upper and lower lenses are used along with sensors to monitor the eye and release the drug at the correct times. Brimonidine is commonly used as it reduces eye pressure and symptoms associated with Glaucoma.
The lens will also be able to deliver real-time information about eye pressures to the user, as built-in wireless capacity will be used, easily connecting to an app that can be downloaded on smartphones. Users will not have to trigger the release of the drug; it will happen automatically.
The pressure-reducing lens has so far only been tested on the eyes of animals – however there are plans for it to be tested on human eyes in the near future. So far, results of the initial conducted tests have been promising – hopefully leading to a new, comfortable solution for managing Glaucoma.
Tarun Sharma is a consultant ophthalmic surgeon who carries out his NHS work at Worcestershire Acute NHS Trust since his appointment in 2007.