New contact lens can treat and prevent Glaucoma

Bionode, a company affiliated with the Center for Implantable Devices (CID) at Purdue University, Indiana, created the wearable neuro-modulation, that provides a non-invasive approach to tackling intra-ocular pressure in the eyes.CID lead, Professor Pedro Irazoqui, who is also the chief technology officer of Bionode, said the seingly simple technology uses an off-the-shelf contact lens together with a pair of glasses.{{quote-A:R-W:470-I:2-Q:“Our goal is to complete that large clinical trial, apply for CE Mark approval, and file for a FDA de Novo approval in the United States,”-WHO:Professor Pedro Irazoqui, Chief Technology Officer of Bionode}}“All we do to the contact lens is add a single trace of gold. That trace of gold receives an electromagnetic field that we transmit from a specially equipped pair of glasses to convert the field into a current. The current is then delivered to a very specific part of the eye’s anatomy to achieve the desired therapy,” Irazoqui said.“Our device can electrically stimulate the muscles around Schlm’s canal, the structure where fluid leaves the eye, to decrease the impedance to fluid flow and, thus, decrease pressure. There’s no surgery, it’s not invasive, it’s just a contact lens that you wear with a pair of glasses.”Traditional treatments for glaucoma are characterised by low patient compliance or unwanted side effects due to the nature of applications, which range from eye drops, to a procedure that leaves an open wound in the eye that comes with a high risk of infection. They can also take up to three months to be effective, whereas Bionode’s device works within five minutes.Additionally, most patients who opt for these treatments still find thselves with visual loss after about 10–15 years and by 15–20 years go totally blind. Irazoqui said that their technology would overcome these limitations, adding that Bionode is working to conduct clinical trials with 100 volunteers to assess the effectiveness and durability of the device.“Our goal is to complete that large clinical trial, apply for CE Mark approval, and file for a FDA de Novo approval in the United States,” Irazoqui said.