Losing your eyesight is one of the more scary aspects of
aging. The idea of losing your independence can be overwhelming. Fortunately,
in the near future fewer people will have to go through this experience. We are
living in exciting times when it comes to eye care technology. Researchers have
found innovative ways to treat and prevent vision loss and eye damage.
3D print your own glass eye
3D printing will advance the field of artificial eyes by
leaps and bounds. Traditionally glass and acrylic eyes have been expensive and
labor intensive investments, which didn’t always look quite right. 3D printing
could reduce a prosthetic eye from the hefty price of $5,000 down to an
affordable $150. The technology will also allow for more precise color matching
and print much quicker than a manually produced eye.
Diamond-made contacts to treat glaucoma
The challenges of treating glaucoma could be solved with
diamonds. Many people with glaucoma use eye drops to prevent pressure buildup,
however putting in an accurate dosage, at the scheduled time is hard to
achieve. Researchers at UCLA have forged ahead with an innovative solution,
contacts made from tiny nano-diamonds, which can be coated with time release
medication. This will allow the right dose to be inserted, into the right part
of the eye, at the right time.
HIV drugs to cure macular degeneration
Doctors have found that medication used to treat HIV and
AIDS can also help with age-related macular degeneration. The drugs are called
nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) and this remarkable
discovery is currently being tested on mice. While scientists fine-tune this
treatment for eye use, there is good news. Since the drugs are already on the
market, they have been proven safe and are reasonably priced.
TVs that can diagnose glaucoma
Scientists have found they have much success mapping eye
movement when people watch TV. They were able to ascertain that healthy eyes
tend to follow a specific path while ailing eyes would follow a different one.
This knowledge could lead doctors to detect glaucoma, which typically has no
early symptoms, as well as other eye conditions. This technology could be
extremely useful for people in areas without access to eye doctors and clinics.
Be eye smart with apps
Technology can turn your phone into a medical device.
Using a small lens attachment and an app like Peek or D-Eye, you can have an
eye exam anywhere. These portable devices mean eye-care worldwide can be
tremendously improved, allowing a primary care doctor to see detailed pictures
of your eyes, to determine if an ophthalmologist needs to be consulted.
Blind or visually impaired people are also benefitting from
the plethora of apps being developed. Apps such as TapTap See and VizWiz allow
you to photograph an object and be told what the object is. Similarly, the Be
My Eyes app helps blind users to be visually assisted by real time volunteers
via camera and microphone. Other apps like LookTel Money Reader help people
learn the value of paper money while an app like KNFB Reader audioscribes
printed text.
Corneal implant to replace reading glasses
As you age, you come to accept that reading clearly requires
the aid of glasses. Soon this notion will be a relic. Scientists have invented
small corneal rings, that can be inserted under the eye’s outer surface, that
allow aging eyes to see both near and far at the same time. This technology is
already approved in parts of Europe, Asia, and South America. Recently the FDA
approved one such device that does this, called the KAMRA, in the USA.
Sense glaucoma pressure with an implant
People with glaucoma have to frequently have their eye
pressure checked by their doctor. Instead of being one of your doctor's
regulars, an implanted electronic sensor could help monitor pressure changes. This
wireless device is currently in development at the University of Washington,
and can send data straight to your doctor via a smartphone or another handheld
device.
Needles could replace eye drops
Researchers at Georgia Tech are imagining a world where a
pain-free shot can help with eye troubles. They have been developing tiny
needles, which would deliver medicine to an exact spot in your eye that
requires treatment. This injection wouldn’t cause any pain and would treat
glaucoma and overgrowth of blood vessels in the cornea, which are both harmful
to vision if left untreated. At present, this technology is in its innitial
testing phase.
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