Ophthalmology Archives

TearScience of Morrisville, NC received FDA clearance for the new version of the LipiFlow Thermal Pulsation System for evaporative dry eye. The condition leaves patients with too few tears, making the remaining ones feel too salty. The system heats and massages the eyelids, helping unblock the flow of lipids from the meibomian glands found under the eyelids.

The new generation of LipiFlow provides the ability to two treat both eyes simultaneously, cutting treatment time in half, to about 12 minutes. It also sports a new interface that displays treatment temperature, pressure sequence and treatment time remaining, while recording all the data for easy sharing with the clinic’s electronic medical record system.

Press release: TearScience Achieves FDA Clearance for Second Generation LipiFlow® Thermal Pulsation System

Flashback: LipiFlow for Meibomian Gland Dysfunction and Evaporative Dry Eye Gets Cleared in U.S.

Laser eye surgeries like LASIK and especially photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) can be painful on the eyes for a few days following the procedure.  To alleviate the pain anesthetic eye drops are used, which have to be regularly administered by the patient. Not only is that inconvenient, but one can actually overdose a bit on them drops.

Now researchers at University of Florida are reporting that they developed a way to load topical anesthetics into contact lenses to provide extended delivery of pain relief in a uniform fashion.  And since many of the patients that undergo eye procedures have been wearing contacts prior, they’re already used to putting them on.

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We’ve been seeing intriguing research into electronic contact lenses over the last few years (see flashbacks below) that promises glucose and ocular pressure monitoring directly from the eye and augmented reality computer applications where data is displayed within the contact lens that only the user can see. Ben Krasnow, a tinkerer of electronic and mechanical systems and a contact lens wearer, decided to see whether he can make his own electronic contact lens in his home workshop. Amazingly, he was able to embed a tiny LED between two fused contact lenses and power it using a copper wire transmit coil ring that can be attached around the eye. Ben goes ahead, probably breaks some FDA study rules in the process, and tries on the new lens.

Here’s a video of the construction process of the device:

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Bausch + Lomb and Technolas Perfect Vision GmbH (München, Germany) received European clearance for their new jointly marketed VICTUS femtosecond laser system.

Approved for LASIK flap, astigmatic keratotomy, INTRACOR, capsulotomy and lens fragmentation, the ultra short pulse laser provides precision cutting  while generating little heat within the tissue.

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