Brien Holden create tech to gauge eye sensitivity

The tool, developed by director of technology Dr Klaus Ehrmann and his associates, was primarily created to help combat the high dropout rate of patients using contact lenses.Ehrmann said the instrument will be useful in terms of determining patients that are suitable for contact lens use and those who are not, while it also has potential applications for diagnosing eye disease like keratoconus, shingles or herpes.By measuring ocular sensitivity, the new instrument – which is based on the liquid jet concept – can potentially enable practitioners to quickly assess discomfort and inform their diagnosis and treatment recommendations.Efforts to diagnose, treat and understand the underlying causes ocular sensitivity have previously been hindered by a lack of suitable methods to quantify the experience of patients. Traditional instruments are either inaccurate, difficult to use or not generally available.However, the new instrument solves these issues by propelling small droplets of sterile liquid through a micro-valve onto the surface of the eye. A sensitivity threshold is established by increasing the intensity of the stimulus until the patient reports a positive response.Dedicated hardware and custom written software controls all the operating parameters, including ejection pressure, precise position targeting, tperature, and droplet size. Meanwhile, mechanical, chical and thermal stimulation is achieved by adjusting the properties of the liquid.The device has been in development for the past 18 months and Ehrmann said it could be available for general in two years. But, he did caution there were still hurdles to be jumped, including securing a patent, passing stringent medical tests, and finding a commercial partner.Looking beyond the eye, the instrument offers further opportunities to explore new research in neurological science, signal processing and cognitive psychology.