The eye is under surveillance… Contact lenses can detect danger before it’s too late.
Japanese researchers have developed experimental contact lenses that can monitor eye pressure to prevent glaucoma. Early animal research has shown that the accuracy of these lenses is comparable to more complex medical devices currently used for this purpose.
Researchers say in a study published in the journal “NPJ Flexible Electronics” that they have found a way to integrate a thin, multi-layered film into lenses, each layer having properties that help measure and monitor eye pressure in real time.
The lenses also contain a sensor that enables wireless data transmission. Researchers noted that glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness among patients who are unable to monitor and control their eye pressure daily.
Current instruments for measuring eye pressure lack portability, comfort, and ease of use, as well as failing to provide continuous monitoring.
The study stated that testing these lenses on rabbits resulted in pressure readings consistent with those obtained using traditional monitoring methods.
The researchers acknowledged that there are a number of challenges that must be overcome before these lenses are ready for use, including the need to differentiate between changes in intraocular pressure that arise from other causes such as changes in body position and blinking.
“What we are presenting is promising in the long term regarding monitoring eye pressure without strong medical intervention… which will greatly contribute to the early diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma,” said Takeo Miyake of Waseda University in Tokyo, who led the study.
