Article: Smartphones could help to prevent glaucoma blindness
Source: University of Birmingham, via ScienceDaily
Published: February 25, 2021
Glaucoma is indeed a very complex constellation of disease states, and accurate measurement of intraocular pressure (IOP) is equally complex. Many would argue that even methods of IOP measurement in clinical settings, including the gold standard of Goldmann applanation tonometry, have limitations. Alternatives to provide around-the-clock IOP monitoring, such as through contact lenses, have been proposed but so far lack translatability to patient care. The present study is another such project, in a very early stage of engineering, that seeks to approach the problem from the perspective of sound waves. One of the researchers states, “We discovered a relationship between the internal pressure of an object
and its acoustic reflection coefficient. With further investigation
into eye geometry and how this affects the interaction with sound waves,
it is possible to use a smartphone to accurately measure IOP from the
comfort of the user’s home.” IOP measurement is one of those problems that is easier to talk about than it is to solve, but projects like these, with further development, could contribute to methods to monitor eye pressures around the clock.
Personal commentary: This article, also from the U.K., seems to be a perfect example of what the previous article in the blog was referring to. The study itself is in a very early theoretical stage with a mechanical eye model, and yet the news article uses keywords such as "prevent glaucoma blindness."
My rating of this study:
⭐
Further reading: Pressure May Be Reduced for 1 Hour or More After Biomechanically-Corrected Tonometry
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