Smart contact lens monitors eye pressure and delivers glaucoma drugs in early tests
Why it matters: This smart contact lens could prevent irreversible vision loss for millions of glaucoma patients by providing continuous monitoring and automated drug delivery.
- Glaucoma is the second-leading cause of blindness, often undetected until irreversible damage occurs, with current treatments relying on infrequent pressure measurements and daily eye drops that suffer from adherence issues.
- A new smart contact lens monitors ocular pressure by detecting changes in corneal shape, which in turn alters an embedded microfluidic chamber to release drug pulses, offering a more precise and consistent treatment approach.
- The theranostic device performed reliably in live rabbit eyes (both with ocular hypertension and control groups) and ex vivo cow eyes, suggesting its potential for human application, though it's still in early testing.
- Previous attempts at smart contact lenses, like Google spinoff Verily's glucose-sensing lens, were shelved, while existing wearable IOP monitors like Sensimed's Triggerfish are effective but bulky and uncomfortable, according to Yangzhi Zhu of the Terasaki Institute.
A new 'theranostic' smart contact lens, detailed in Science Translational Medicine, can continuously monitor intraocular pressure and deliver glaucoma medication as needed, addressing the limitations of current eye drop regimens and existing monitoring devices. This innovative lens, which operates without electronics or batteries, has shown reliable performance in early tests on rabbit and cow eyes.
