Breaking News Related to Macular Degeneration, Cataract, Glaucoma, Corneal Disease and Other Eye Conditions » Products

iPhone App Allows Patients to Self-Monitor Progress of Macular Degeneration and Diabetic Retinopathy

Dr. Risa Schulman — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 10:06:41 +0000

Many patients do not have eye tests in a timely fashion to help track degeneration in their eyesight due to age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. In addition, the 1940′s eye test still used in the doctor’s office often does not detect the incremental changes in vision that can occur with these conditions.

A clever solution has been developed in the form of iphone app myVisionTrack, which is twice as sensitive as the old eye chart, gives results in less than 90 seconds, and can be done at any time on the iPhone.

The test uses a “shape discrimination” exercise, where three circles are shown on the screen. Patients cover one eye and touch the circle they perceive to be oddly shaped. This brings up 3 more circles with more subtle differences, and so on. The exercise is then repeated with the other eye. The app stores the results each time, and if there is a significant change in vision over time, the patient gets a message to see the doctor.

myVisionTrack was produced by Vital Art and Science Inc., a Richardson, Texas-based biotech firm that is the brain-child of professors at UT Southwestern, UT Dallas and current and former employees of Texas Instruments.

To read a press release on myVisionTrack, click here.

Risa Schulman, PhD
Expert, Healthy Food and Dietary Supplement Science, Marketing and Regulatory
Tap~Root

A Potential Breakthrough in the Treatment of Glaucoma: Implant May Change Paradigm of Treatment

Irv Arons — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 17:48:05 +0000

In a news release on June 14th, pSivida announced the commencement of a Phase I/II clinical trial to study a new bioerodible drug delivery implant for the treatment of glaucoma and hypertension. The implant is designed to provide long-term sustained release of latanoprost, one of the new class of prostaglandin analogs. The drug delivery implant, based on the company’s Durasert technology system, will be injected into the subconjunctival space in the eye (between the sclera and the lower lid), be bioerodible and is expected to deliver its drug for a period of months.

If successful, this implant would solve the problems of non-compliance, the inability by some to administer the drops and, depending on its price, perhaps address the increasing glaucoma medication cost issues.

To read more about this potentially breakthrough technology, please follow this link.

IRIDEX Granted Patent for Stepped Angled EndoProbe® Laser Handpieces Used in Invasive Eye Surgery

Dr. Risa Schulman — Mon, 09 May 2011 05:10:00 +0000

IRIDEX announced this week that they had received patent approval for the special design of its Stepped Angled EndoProbe® laser handpieces used in invasive ophthalmic surgical procedures. The handpiece is incorporated into several of their existing medical devices, and is their best selling product line.

This handpiece is smaller in diameter than traditional handpieces and curved. Ophthalmologists who use them comment that they increase the working distance and are easy to use. The company further comments that the piece delivers a more streamlined laser energy with higher irradiance.

To read the press release, click here.

Risa Schulman, PhD
Expert, Healthy Food and Dietary Supplement Science, Marketing and Regulatory
Tap~Root

Virginia Eye Institute Now Selling emPower Electronic Glasses

Dr. Ari Weitzner — Mon, 04 Apr 2011 13:16:14 +0000

The Virginia Eye Institute (VEI) announced last week that it will begin selling emPower! Lenses at its locations across Virginia beginning in April 2011.

emPower Lenses, manufactured by PixelOptics, are the world’s first electronic focusing eyeglasses. Virginia Eye Institute will be the exclusive provider of these innovative glasses in Virginia.

As we’ve previously reported on this blog, emPower! glasses are unique insofar as they change from near to distance vision focus (and back) very rapidly at the touch of a button.

Click here to read the full press release from the Virginia Eye Institute.

Latest News on Use of Femtosecond Lasers in Cataract Surgery

Irv Arons — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 08:59:54 +0000

This past month, Stephen Daily, news editor for Cataract & Refractive Surgery Today , wrote an article recounting the transition of femtosecond laser cataract surgery from testing laboratories to physicians’ offices. Daily expects that the precision of femtosecond lasers in cataract surgery will enhance outcomes in practically all areas of measurement, especially with premium IOLs, which depend on a well-centered capsulotomy. As Daily recounts, in February 2010, when Dr. Stephen G. Slade, the medical director for LenSx (a leading femtosecond laser manufacturer), performed the first laser cataract surgery in the United States on 50 consecutive eyes, all of the patients saw 20/25 or better the first day after surgery, and all of the capsulotomies were perfectly centered and achieved a diametric accuracy of -0.25 mm.

The major players in the laser cataract surgery market are:

Alcon, Inc., which purchased LenSx Lasers, Inc.;
LensAR, Inc.;
OptiMedica Corp.; and
Technolas Perfect Vision

The first three companies plan to commercially launch their devices this year. Technolas’ laser, able to perform refractive, intrastromal, and therapeutic procedures, is not yet available in the United States.

With the permission of Stephen and the publishers of CRST, I have reproduced Stephen’s article concerning the commercialization of femtosecond lasers for cataract surgery.

Check out the story at the following link: http://tinyurl.com/femtohistoryupdate

New Device Detects Lazy Eye and Strabismus in Preschoolers

Dr. Risa Schulman — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 16:18:23 +0000

A new device has been developed to help detect “lazy eye” and strabismus in preschoolers. Opthalmologist David Hunter at the Children’s Hospital in Boston was frustrated with the fact that the condition is often undetected by pediatricians, thereby missing a critical window for successful treatment. He developed the Pediatric Vision Scanner and found it was able to detect over 95% of children with an eye problem.

By making the device hand-held and easy to use, Dr. Hunter hopes to facilitate mandatory screening for all pre-schoolers. The scanner recently received FDA approval for use in clinical trials.

For details of the invention, click here.

For a video of Dr. Hunter describing the development of the Pediatric Vision Scanner, click here.

Risa Schulman, PhD
Expert, Healthy Food and Dietary Supplement Science, Marketing and Regulatory
Tap~Root

New Technologies Help Blind Read Text and Navigate Streets

Dr. Risa Schulman — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 09:21:58 +0000

Two students at the University of Washington have designed a new gadget that allows the blind to read non-Braille, called the Thimble. The invention, which slides over the pointer finger like a glove, has a camera and an electro-tactile grid in the finger tip which converts text into Braille. It can be used equally well to read signs or on-line content on a Smartphone via Bluetooth.

“Eyes-Free Android” has two new apps: the first, called Walky-Talky is a sort of on-foot GPS by the Eyes Free Project that speaks out step by step instructions and calls out useful street names and landmarks along the way. The second is called Intersection Explorer by Google, which calls out relevant landmarks in the surrounding, and allows the user to swipe the screen in a certain direction and get information about what lies there.

To read more about the Thimble, click here.

To read more about Android Apps, click here.

Risa Schulman, PhD
Expert, Healthy Food and Dietary Supplement Science and Marketing
Tap~Root

Beta-Carotene Fortification for Better Eye Health

Dr. Risa Schulman — Thu, 20 Jan 2011 04:56:01 +0000

The December 2010 issue of the Journal of Nutrition published a consensus paper on the need for beta-carotene fortification. The consensus established that for most of the general population, the intake of vitamin A is below the RDA; in the US, the average consumption from dietary sources is between 1-2 mg/d (30-60 IU; RDA for men is 3000 IU, for women is 2333 IU). Young people and pregnant and lactating women are also at risk for suboptimal consumption. To fill the gap, intake of beta-carotene, a pro-vitamin A source, can be useful.

The intake of beta-carotene from dietary sources is recommended to be 2-4 mg/d, but this is also not reached for most of the population. The consensus suggested that this level should be increased to 7 mg/d. The scientists also noted that no difference has been found between naturally-occurring and chemically synthesized beta-carotene.

The conference, which was organized by the Institute of Biological Chemistry and Nutrition and took place at the University of Hohenheim, Stuttgart, was sponsored by DSM Nutritional products.

The free full text article can be accessed here.

Risa Schulman, PhD
Expert, Healthy Food and Dietary Supplement Science, Marketing and Regulatory
Tap~Root

Smartphone’s Blinput Allows Visually Impaired to Attain Greater Independence

Dr. Risa Schulman — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 21:22:39 +0000

Blinput is an amazing application for the Smartphone which allows the blind or visually impaired to navigate the world with greater sophistication. Worn around the neck with the camera facing outwards, the user can navigate not only roads, but also the use of a ticket machine, or hear about products on a store shelf by picking them up and “scanning” them. They also get information about landmarks or streets that are passing, (“This street can be dangerous at night,”) and can add reminders to themselves that will be read back as appropriate, (“There is a waist-high obstacle at this crossing.”).

Use of this application can bring a new level of security and independence for the visually impaired.

To watch a video about how Blinput works, click here.

Risa Schulman, PhD
Expert, Healthy Food and Dietary Supplement Science and Marketing
Tap~Root

Bausch + Lomb Offers Crystalens® iClear iPhone Application

Dr. Ari Weitzner — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 07:10:48 +0000

Bausch + Lomb recently announced today that it has rolled out a free iPhone application, called Crystalens® iClear, to educate consumers about vision, cataracts and Crystalens.

Crystalens is the only FDA-approved accommodating intraocular lens.

Read the full press release.