Researchers have developed an eye implant which they hope could lead to better glaucoma treatment.
The implant, developed in conjunction with teams from Stanford University and Bar-Ilan University in Israel, enables patients to take daily or hourly internal optic pressure readings, which researchers believe could help doctors tailor more effective treatment plans.
It consists of a small tube and acts like a miniature barometer. One end is open to the fluids that fill the eye, the other end is capped with a small bulb filled with gas. As the IOP increases, intraocular fluid is pushed into the tube and the gas pushes back against this flow.
It was hoped that the patients would be able to use a smartphone app or device such as Google Glass to take photos of the implant and provide data on the variable nature of IOPs.