Author: Medgadged

Flexible, Transparent Electronics for Contact Lens Video Displays

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rabbit-eye-lens-side

Flexible electronics is a hot research topic for medical device development which promises advancements such as turning simple vascular balloons into smart sensing devices and making contact lenses with built-in displays. While flexibility is key for many applications, also being transparent would be a major advantage for contact lens electronics.

Researchers at South Korea’s Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) have developed transparent and stretchable electrodes made of graphene and silver nanowires that are effective conductors while not being brittle. They were able to embed the new material as an inorganic light-emitting diode (ILDED) into a soft contact lens which was worn seemingly without irritation by a live rabbit for five hours.

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Tetris Therapy Against Amblyopia

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lazy-eye-tetris

A new therapeutic approach for lazy eye, also known as amblyopia, uses good old Tetris to train the eyes to work together. This innovative approach to a common eye disorder is a result of research done by Dr. Robert Hess from McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, Canada. And yes, you have read correctly: they use a video game to treat an eye disorder. You might also question: “Didn’t video games and other close-up activities, like reading, induce eye problems?” Also sometimes true, but that’s usually nearsightedness, not lazy eye.

In amblyopia, one of the eyes has impaired vision which can lead to suppression of the weak eye. If amblyopia is detected at a young age, the chance to acquire normal vision with both eyes is good. The standard therapy is to correct for the cause of the weaker vision, often done by wearing correct spectacles and patching the stronger eye. However, patching has not been proven very effective in adult amblyopia.

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New Optical Tools for Imaging The Eyes: Medgadget Exclusive with Ramesh Raskar and Everett Lawson

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Everett-Lawson

TEDMED was not only an exciting event full of talks rich in practicality, inspiration, and information, but an opportunity to talk with the speakers and delegates in a comfortable setting about what they’re up to. Following their on-stage presentation, we sat down (in a darkly lit room) with Ramesh Raskar and PhD student Everett Lawson of MIT’s Media Lab to discuss their latest light-based technology and how it will impact clinical care.

 

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OptosOCT SLO Combines Microperimetry with OCT, Cleared by FDA

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OptosOCT-SLO-side

Optos plc (Dunfermline, Scotland) won 510(k) clearance from the FDA for the microperimetry functions on its OptosOCT SLO system. Microperimetry is a technique that analyzes retina’s sensitivity to light and the system superimposes that over OCT (optical coherence tomography) imaging to provide a map of the correlation between physical structures and visual function of the eye.

The OptosOCT SLO is the first system to combine both OCT and microperimetry into one system. Its on-board SLO eye tracking feature adjusts for involuntary eye movements, allowing for fast imaging and coupling of the data.

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Holography Stimulates Optogenetically Photosensitized Retinal Nerve Cells to Restore Vision

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holographic-vision

Newly developed light sensitive proteins, genetically introduced into retinal nerve cells, may lead to the ability to restore vision in the blind. One challenge in developing a real-world system is that these protein activated neurons require a high energy light source for them to send electrical signals to the brain. Moreover, this light source needs to be both very precise and wide-field to activate large number of cells at the same time.

To that end, researchers at Technion-Israel Institute of Technology are using holography to activate the repaired retinal nerve cells – and have already tested the technology on mice. They tried lasers, projectors, and video displays, but they were either not bright enough or didn’t have the ability to effectively stimulate large numbers of cells. Holography did the trick. The researchers admit this work is still in its early stages, but the fact that it’s pointing to definite application in the future is certainly promising for the field of ophthalmology.

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Retinal Implant Alpha IMS Brings Sight to Blind in New Study (w/video)

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Retinal-Implant-AG-implant

Retina Implant AG, a German developer of subretinal implants to help restore sight of people with retinitis pigmentosa, has announced publication of results of a new clinical trial of its Alpha IMS system. Nine blind people received the 3×3 mm wireless microchip implants that feature a 1500 pixel resolution. The implants capture light and in turn stimulate the optic nerve, which delivers visual signal data to the brain.

A distinct advantage of the Alpha IMS is that, unlike other similar devices such as the recently released Argus II, it does not rely on an external camera. Instead, light is detected inside the eye, enabling the patient to look around by moving his eyes rather than the head. It also has a much higher resolution grid and is implanted under the retina, allowing the middle layer of the retina to process the input before it is sent to the visual cortex.

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iExaminer iPhone Adapter for Welch Allyn’s PanOptic Ophthalmoscope Cleared in U.S. (w/video)

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iExaminer

Welch Allyn received 510(k) FDA clearance for the iExaminer attachment that connects the company’s PanOptic Ophthalmoscope to an iPhone for more fun and utility when doing fundus exams. The combined system allows clinicians to image the eye while saving the images for later review or to share with colleagues. Moreover, the system is essentially a telemedicine product that can bring ophthalmologists to remote clinics that would otherwise not have one on staff.

The iExaminer, which aligns the eye piece of the ophthalmoscope  to the phones camera, is compatible with iPhone 4 and 4S models and shipments are promised to begin in a couple of weeks. There’s also a complementary app from Welch Allyn that rounds off the package, and it is available for download from the Apple App Store.

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