Articles

Are we getting any closer to a cure or more targeted therapies?

Recent studies in animal models provide a possible explanation for the reason that ageing predisposes the eye to glaucoma and suggest that dietary manipulation could modify this ageing process.

Although it would appear neuroprotective agents for glaucoma will not be available any time soon, research in Alzheimer?s disease and in animal models of glaucoma is generating findings that suggest several promising approaches.

The safety and efficacy of corneal collagen cross-linking with topical riboflavin and UV-A irradiation for the treatment of keratoconus and ectasia after refractive surgery is being investigated in a US clinical trial. Data from an interim analysis of eyes that have reached the 3-month follow-up visit are encouraging.

The Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network (DRCR.net) study, published in Ophthalmology online has shown that ranibizumab (Lucentis) injections, in combination with laser treatment has produced better vision results than in patients treated by laser alone for diabetic macular oedema (DME).

Heidelberg Engineering is a high-tech medical device company which designs, manufactures, and distributes diagnostic instruments for eye care professionals. It is a privately held company, headquartered in Heidelberg, Germany.

Researchers in the Howe Laboratory, Department of Ophthalmology of the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary and Harvard Medical School, and in the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, have used a novel model to determine what part of the virus is responsible for the inflammation in viral keratoconjunctivitis

Scientific studies show that the inclusion of high levels of omega-3 fatty acids, lutein and zeaxanthin in the diet supports eye health.

LensAR, Inc has issued a patent addressing methods for using laser technology to increase the flexibility of the ocular lens in order to both restore accommodation in presbyopia patients and allow easier removal of hardened lenses in cataract patients.

Addition Technology, Inc., the maker of Intacs corneal implants, AlphaSphere orbital implants and the AlphaCor artificial cornea has received FDA approval for an expanded range of additional sizes of Intacs corneal implants for keratoconus.

The mobile version of Topcon Medical Systems's EyeRoute Image Management Suite is now available as a dedicated iPhone application

Rayner Intraocular Lenses Limited has globally launched its T-flex Aspheric toric IOL.

Carl Zeiss Meditec has announced that ReLEx, the first femtosecond-only method of laser vision correction, is now available for sale outside the United States.1 ReLEx is a new application that allows ophthalmic surgeons to perform a variety of complete laser vision correction procedures using only the VisuMax Femtosecond laser.

Scientists from the Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation in the USA have studied 135 patients with intermittent exotropia, where the eye turns outwards while looking at an object, over a 20-year period.

Heidelberg Engineering is introducing SPECTRALIS, then office-based imaging device for tracking and measuring axonal change, at the 2010 meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Toronto.

A rare opportunity to acquire a 500-page hand-written manuscript of prominent case studies of eye injuries and diseases at Moorfields Hospital is now possible

pSivida Corp. a developer of ophthalmic sustained release drug delivery products, has said that a recently-published peer reviewed scientific paper showed that a sustained release Durasert drug delivery device releasing the steroid fluocinolone acetonide (FA) in the back of the eye preserved retinal function in a retinitis pigmentosa model.

Oraya Therapeutics has been granted the CE mark for its IRay system, which its researchers say can deliver low-energy X-rays to treat wet AMD.

Highlights from an expert roundtable meeting can be found in the April issue of Ophthalmology Times Europe.

The Review of Ophthalmology recently published a survey amongst surgeons which indicates that toric IOLs are becoming more popular for managing astigmastism in cataract patients. The results also demonstrated a move away from bimanual surgery and the mixing of presbyopic IOLs.

In the latest issue of Clinical Ophthalmology T Fukuchi et al., found that tectonic corneal grafting is a reliable and final surgical method to improve severe cases of hypotony maculopathy or bleb leak after MMC trabeculectomy.

The findings of a case report in Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology may support its authors hypothesis that the primary visual cortex, in which retinal spatial geometry is preserved, is not critical for visual imagery.

Joe Lovett's film, Going Blind will be screened at the World Ophthalmology Congress in Berlin in June. Ophthalmology Times Europe strongly recommends that all doctors put this on their schedule if they are visiting the congress.

Medicare patients in the United States are 5.5 times more likely to get cataract surgery than those who receive their care from the Department of Veterans Affairs, according to a study reported in the March 2010 issue of the American Journal of Medical Quality

The talents of the Australasian and Asia Pacific cataract and refractive surgeons associations will come together in their joint meeting on 1st ? 4th July 2010 at the Cairns Convention Centre in Australia.

> New research from the UK shows that OptiveTM eye drops have a significantly better effect on conjunctival tissues of patients with mild to moderate dry eye compared with Hylocomod (Na-Hyaluronate) eyedrops1, according to a company media statement.

Devices address both tissue shortage and transplant demand

Researchers are developing a minature intraocular pump for effective drug delivery to patients

Evidence suggests that supplementation with lutein, zeaxanthin and fish oils has a protective effect

To mark World Glaucoma Day here's how a grand European tour might look to patients with glaucoma.