Contact lens that can release drug could be used to treat glaucoma

Scientists have created a contact lens that can detect high pressure in the eye and release a drug.

Glaucoma is an eye disease that can lead to blindness if not treated.

Almost 10% of people older than 75 are thought to be affected by the most common form of the disease. This form is usually caused by a build up of fluid in the eye.

Researchers in China have developed a contact lens that can sense an increase in pressure within the eye and release an anti-glaucoma drug.

The team describe how they created the device using an upper and lower lens, with a wireless power transfer device sandwiched between them around the rim of the lens. The arrangement seems to make the wearer have golden irises. The team say the design allows the necessary components to be included in the device without blocking the wearer's view.

The gap between the upper and lower glasses decreases when the pressure inside the eye increases. The pressure sensor can be used to detect this. The anti-glaucoma drug can be released from the wireless system if the sensor sends a signal to the system. The drug reduces the pressure in the eye.

The study shows that the contact lens has been tested on pigs' eyes and rabbits' eyes, but not in humans.

The approach could be expanded to help tackle other eye diseases, as the researchers note that the lenses are battery-free and soft.

The research was potentially very exciting, according to the Institute of Inflammation and Ageing at the University of Birmingham, which was not involved in the work.

The contact lens developed by the researchers can detect the changes in pressure in the eye, but it can also respond by allowing on-demand drug delivery to the eye.

He said there was a chance to develop the technology further, since the contact lens has built-in wireless capacity and can easily communicate.

The materials required to make contact lenses are cheap and could be mass-produced soon.