Free glaucoma screenings are being offered at some Iowa eye clinics this week as part of National Glaucoma Month. Glaucoma is a disorder that damages optic nerves and, left untreated, can result in blindness. Dr Beth Triebul, an optometrist in Urbandale, says it’s important to have your eyes checked. This become especially critical for people who have a family history of glaucoma are at a higher risk of getting it themselves. Also, if you are over 65 years old or have diabetes, you may be at a higher risk of having it.

Newly published results from the European Optic Disc Assessment Trial (EODAT) conducted at The Rotterdam Eye Hospital reveal the accuracy of glaucoma diagnosis can be improved when patients’ optic discs are assessed using common imaging devices, and suggests that post-graduate training courses in optic disc assessment would improve glaucoma care. Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness worldwide. Approximately 50% of all glaucoma cases remain undiagnosed.

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BiCOM Inc sales have risen dramatically since the FDA has cleared its unique glaucoma IOP eye test through the Eyelid – Diaton Tonometer. The device is now available in every US state and more than 60 countries across the world through various medical device distributors. CEO of BiCOM, Roman Iospa predicts the sales of healthcare sector and medical diagnostic technology to increase.

According to findings published in Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, drug-releasing contact lenses may provide correct and consistent dosages of medication for patients. The artificial lens delivers a constant dose of the medication, which increases the effectiveness of the treatment, according to researchers. This ability is particularly important for glaucoma patients, who on average administer drops accurately at rates between 41% and 76%, they said.

EyeIC announced that the FDA has approved its MatchedFlicker software that monitors the advent and progression of glaucoma through retinal photography. The technology enables eye-care professionals to compare two retinal images taken from the same patient at different visits—from nearly any source—and see change as motion. Users can mark the changes on the software and on the images. The software also translates markings made on any image in one project to the appropriate location on all other images in the same project. All images and annotations are saved in an electronic format and can be printed.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given the pre-market approval to Advanced Medical Optics, Inc.’s Healon D®. To be used as a surgical aid in procedures such as corneal transplant, cataract extraction, glaucoma filtration and implantation of intraocular lens (IOL), the ophthalmic visco-surgical device (OVD) offers incomparable clarity in the field of surgery and protects corneal cells well. Its molecular weight being low, Healon D® stays in place for the entire process of surgery. It ensures safer environment for doctors and patients as it is latex free.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has given 510(k) clearance to the company’s SOLX 790 for use in Titanium: Sapphire laser trabeculoplasty (TLT). The clearance followed the results of a multi-center clinical trial which established the equivalence of TLT to ALT in its ability to reduce intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients suffering from primary open angle glaucoma and poorly controlled IOP. The laser emits pulses of energy at a wavelength of 790 nm that loosens particles in the trabecular meshwork. The penetration of this energy into the tissue is deeper than other currently used trabeculoplasty lasers. The treatment is long-lasting and less damaging.

Paradigm Medical Industries plans to introduce the Glaid-PERG electrophysiology instrument for the early detection of Glaucoma at the American Society for Cataract Refractive Surgeons (ASCRS) Conference in Chicago, Illinois, in April. The company’s CEO Raymond Cannefax said, “All research and studies indicate the Glaid-PERG diagnostic device is the earliest means of detecting cellular losses attributed to glaucoma and other ocular ailments.” The early diagnosis of Glaucoma, which causes the most cases of vision loss, will help reduce these cases.

Researchers have found that cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure was a third lower in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma than in those who did not have the condition. The group of researchers led by John Berdahl also found in a retrospective case-control study that intraocular pressure (IOP) was similar between patients with glaucoma and those with other vision defects. The research published in the May issue of Ophthalmology suggests that the pressure difference between the intraocular space and the CSF space, the so-called translaminar pressure difference, may play a role in the pathogenesis of glaucoma.

Carl Zeiss Meditec has announced that two new optical coherence tomography (OCT) applications, Cirrus™ HD-OCT and Stratus™ OCT, will be made available at the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons meeting in Chicago for the first time. These are among the most advanced imaging technologies available for assessment and management of glaucoma and diseases of the retina.