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.

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.

A recent study published in the Ophthalmology journal found that there is a 70% increased risk of developing the most common form of glaucoma, primary open-angle glaucoma, for diabetic women as compared to non-diabetic women. The study, led by Dr. Louis Pasquale, was conducted on over 76,000 women and provided conclusive evidence of the risk of glaucoma in people with diabetes.

Hi-Tech Pharmacal Co Inc has received tentative approval from the FDA for its Abbreviated New Drug Application (ANDA) for dorzolamide hydrochloride with timolol maleate ophthalmic solution. Hi-Tech Pharmacal’s dorzolamide hydrochloride with timolol maleate ophthalmic solution is the generic version of Merck’s Cosopt, for the treatment of glaucoma. The company said that it has 180 days of marketing exclusivity for generic dorzolamide hydrochloride with timolol maleate ophthalmic solution, and will begin marketing the product upon the completion of Merck’s pediatric exclusivity period in October 2008.

Carl Zeiss Meditec, a glaucoma care company, has launched Humphrey® Field Analyzer II-i (HFA II-i) with new Guided Progression Analysis™ (GPA) software. HFA II-i is to be used in determining the stage of the disease, the rate of progression and the risk of loss of vision. Eye care providers will now be able to monitor patients to prevent the loss of vision.