Image credit – Hyowon Lee/Purdue University
Glaucoma is not a new disease and there have been various ways developed over the years to treat the problem. Eye implants is one of those treatment methods, where the idea behind these implants is to help drain the fluid from the eye to help lessen the pressure of fluid being built up which can cause problems such as headaches and potentially vision loss.
Unfortunately it seems that these implants are less than ideal because studies have found that these implants tend to stop working within five years, which ironically enough is due to blockage. However researchers at Purdue University think they might have the solution in the form of magnetic eye implants.
Led by Asst. Prof. Hyowon “Hugh” Lee, these magnetic eye implants function more or less the same way as the current implants. However the difference is that because they are magnetic, when introduced to a magnetic field from outside the body, it will vibrate and will help shake loose biomaterials that are stuck inside of the tube, allowing it to be flushed out.
This means that patients with such implants only need to make an occasional trip to the doctor to help flush out the tubes, as opposed to having to replace the implants which could be costly. The researchers are now looking for partners in hopes of helping commercialize the technology. More details about the technology can be found in a study published in the latest issue of Microsystems and Nanoengineering.
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