Contact Lens Detects Glaucoma

A company from Switzerland has made an astounding new product.  They designed a contact lens that is specifically made to check for glaucoma.  Glaucoma is currently the second leading cause of blindness in the United States.  It is a disease that damages the optic nerve and causes irreversible loss of vision.  It occurs when fluid pressure in the eye rises and medical experts are sometimes unsure of what causes this build up of pressure.  The new contact lens is called Sensimed Triggerfish Sensor and is a new type of lens called smart lens.

These new lenses feature a regular contact with a circular micro-ring. The lens itself has an embedded micro-sensor that records changes in pressure and shape of the eye.  It specifically is designed to measure intraocular pressure which is the best way to predict glaucoma. An antenna is placed right under the eye with an adhesive to receive information wirelessly from the contact.  The antenna then transmits the data to a recorder that is worn around the patient’s neck by a thin cable.  The information is then stored until the physician retrieves it.

The contact lens is prescribed by a doctor for a patient to wear for a twenty-four hour period.  The patient then goes on their day as usual, and even sleeps in this Triggerfish lens. The lens takes a measure, or data point, every five minutes while the patient is wearing it.  At the end of the twenty-four hour period, the patient reports back to their physician. The data is then transferred through Bluetooth from the recorder worn by the patient to software that is stored on a practitioner’s computer.  The doctor can then effectively evaluate the readings and more accurately determine if glaucoma is present.

The lenses themselves to do not have many symptoms besides slight irritation and redness.  These lenses provide a huge new opportunity for detecting glaucoma.  With this new technology, glaucoma can be detected earlier than any other device.  The regular method of measuring eye pressure is not always as promising, because eye pressure can change constantly. This new device provides an excellent evaluation of the patient.  The Triggerfish lens is currently being used by European countries like Germany and Switzerland.  It is not yet approved by the FDA for sale in the United States, but is becoming more recognized.  It is most likely this new technology will be utilized in the United States in 2014. 

Posted by: Jacob, Asayenow, and Thomas