Ophthalmology diagnosis and treatment is highly dependent on precision medical devices such as slit lamps, dynamic TV field inspection systems, fundus cameras, and laser therapy devices. Today, ophthalmic medical devices have formed a huge market. Recently, Xinu M. Harry Prasad, director of the Vitreous Retina Service Center and professor of ophthalmology and visual sciences at the University of Chicago Medical Center (UCM), the top ten medical center in the United States, introduced the United States to reporters during her academic report Highlights of research and development of ophthalmic medical devices.
Progress 1: Micro-injection pump improves drug treatment
To avoid elderly patients with wet macular degenerative disease from being deprived of vision by the disease, the most effective method is to regularly inject drugs into the patient's eye to prevent abnormal retinal vascular hyperplasia. However, frequent injections cause problems for many patients. What progress has been made abroad in the development of ophthalmic injection devices?
Faced with questions, Professor Harry Prasad said that in recent years, the medical community has actively conducted research on ophthalmic drug injection technology. Clearside Biomedical, based in Georgia, USA, has developed a micro-injection pump with a tiny structure that is designed for eye injections. UCM participated in the clinical study of the device. The results of the Phase II clinical trial announced not long ago showed that the injection pump helps to slow the release of drugs in the eye, allowing patients to obtain good results with smaller injection doses, and the injection pump causes minimal trauma, so Patients recover faster and treatment side effects are significantly reduced.
According to Harry Prasad, the injection pump is suitable for injection treatment of eye inflammation and macular degeneration. It is expected to be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after more than a year. Once approved, UCM will be the first institution to adopt this injection device. However, patients need to spend hundreds of dollars more on micropump injection. For patients in developing countries, the cost of treatment is a prominent issue. It is hoped that as time goes on, the price of the device will gradually decrease.
Progress 2: hair-like forceps help micro surgery
Ophthalmic surgery has high requirements for "fine, accurate and fine". Professor Harry Prasad said: "Eye surgery is the most subtle operation that can be performed by the hand." He showed reporters a video of the surgery in the interview-the doctor used an extremely small instrument to remove the tiny abnormality on the patient's retina Organization and operation are neat and clean.
Harry Prasad explained that the thickness of the human eye's retina is about 200 microns, and the thickness of the abnormal scar tissue removed by the doctor in the surgical video is about 11 microns, which is equivalent to 1/4 of the thickness of ordinary plastic wrap. In this operation, the doctor used a new type of surgical forceps. It is only as thin as human hair, and it is with this device that doctors can accurately access the tissues in the back of the retina. Moreover, the operation with this type of forceps does not require sutures, the doctor only needs to pull out the forceps, and the wound can heal itself.
Progress 3: Automatic mapping system assisted laser treatment
"In addition to the advancement of instruments for drug injection and surgical treatment, there is a very advanced computer processing system that is worthy of attention in laser treatment of eye diseases." Harry Prasad said that for eyes requiring laser treatment, UCM ophthalmologists will use a A computer software system for treatment planning. The system can automatically select abnormal areas such as spots, and automatically mark anatomical parts that cannot be lasered, such as nerve tissue. Under the guidance of the system, the laser treatment device can perform laser processing on the abnormal parts point by point.
Progress 4: The intraocular lens both corrects refractive and suppresses cataract
Excimer laser therapy equipment has been popular in ophthalmology for many years. However, the long-term effects of this technology are controversial. According to Professor Harry Prasad, in the United States, the use of excimer laser therapy equipment has declined significantly. Americans around the age of 50 rarely perform excimer laser surgery. The main reason is that the treatment equipment can only correct myopia and only help The patient corrects a focus point. Today, ophthalmology has a more advanced "adjustable intraocular lens". This is an ophthalmic implant highly recommended by American doctors.
According to reports, the adjustable intraocular lens has a multifocal design, with liquid wrapped between two optically transparent materials. The implanter controls the pressure of the liquid in the lens through the ciliary muscle, thereby adjusting the optical properties of the lens. It also has multiple haptics for intraocular positioning and fixation.
Professor Harry Prasad explained that the advantage of this ophthalmic implant is that it can correct both hyperopia and myopia, and can effectively suppress secondary cataracts, which is safer and more effective than excimer laser. He suggested that patients with myopia should carefully compare different technical methods, rather than directly performing excimer laser surgery. Because of the continuous evolution of refractive correction technology worldwide, patients undergoing excimer laser treatment may have cataracts by the age of 50. At that time, cataract surgery will also be performed, and the new technology products can simultaneously prevent two major problems.
Progress 1: Micro-injection pump improves drug treatment
To avoid elderly patients with wet macular degenerative disease from being deprived of vision by the disease, the most effective method is to regularly inject drugs into the patient's eye to prevent abnormal retinal vascular hyperplasia. However, frequent injections cause problems for many patients. What progress has been made abroad in the development of ophthalmic injection devices?
Faced with questions, Professor Harry Prasad said that in recent years, the medical community has actively conducted research on ophthalmic drug injection technology. Clearside Biomedical, based in Georgia, USA, has developed a micro-injection pump with a tiny structure that is designed for eye injections. UCM participated in the clinical study of the device. The results of the Phase II clinical trial announced not long ago showed that the injection pump helps to slow the release of drugs in the eye, allowing patients to obtain good results with smaller injection doses, and the injection pump causes minimal trauma, so Patients recover faster and treatment side effects are significantly reduced.
According to Harry Prasad, the injection pump is suitable for injection treatment of eye inflammation and macular degeneration. It is expected to be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) after more than a year. Once approved, UCM will be the first institution to adopt this injection device. However, patients need to spend hundreds of dollars more on micropump injection. For patients in developing countries, the cost of treatment is a prominent issue. It is hoped that as time goes on, the price of the device will gradually decrease.
Progress 2: hair-like forceps help micro surgery
Ophthalmic surgery has high requirements for "fine, accurate and fine". Professor Harry Prasad said: "Eye surgery is the most subtle operation that can be performed by the hand." He showed reporters a video of the surgery in the interview-the doctor used an extremely small instrument to remove the tiny abnormality on the patient's retina Organization and operation are neat and clean.
Harry Prasad explained that the thickness of the human eye's retina is about 200 microns, and the thickness of the abnormal scar tissue removed by the doctor in the surgical video is about 11 microns, which is equivalent to 1/4 of the thickness of ordinary plastic wrap. In this operation, the doctor used a new type of surgical forceps. It is only as thin as human hair, and it is with this device that doctors can accurately access the tissues in the back of the retina. Moreover, the operation with this type of forceps does not require sutures, the doctor only needs to pull out the forceps, and the wound can heal itself.
Progress 3: Automatic mapping system assisted laser treatment
"In addition to the advancement of instruments for drug injection and surgical treatment, there is a very advanced computer processing system that is worthy of attention in laser treatment of eye diseases." Harry Prasad said that for eyes requiring laser treatment, UCM ophthalmologists will use a A computer software system for treatment planning. The system can automatically select abnormal areas such as spots, and automatically mark anatomical parts that cannot be lasered, such as nerve tissue. Under the guidance of the system, the laser treatment device can perform laser processing on the abnormal parts point by point.
Progress 4: The intraocular lens both corrects refractive and suppresses cataract
Excimer laser therapy equipment has been popular in ophthalmology for many years. However, the long-term effects of this technology are controversial. According to Professor Harry Prasad, in the United States, the use of excimer laser therapy equipment has declined significantly. Americans around the age of 50 rarely perform excimer laser surgery. The main reason is that the treatment equipment can only correct myopia and only help The patient corrects a focus point. Today, ophthalmology has a more advanced "adjustable intraocular lens". This is an ophthalmic implant highly recommended by American doctors.
According to reports, the adjustable intraocular lens has a multifocal design, with liquid wrapped between two optically transparent materials. The implanter controls the pressure of the liquid in the lens through the ciliary muscle, thereby adjusting the optical properties of the lens. It also has multiple haptics for intraocular positioning and fixation.
Professor Harry Prasad explained that the advantage of this ophthalmic implant is that it can correct both hyperopia and myopia, and can effectively suppress secondary cataracts, which is safer and more effective than excimer laser. He suggested that patients with myopia should carefully compare different technical methods, rather than directly performing excimer laser surgery. Because of the continuous evolution of refractive correction technology worldwide, patients undergoing excimer laser treatment may have cataracts by the age of 50. At that time, cataract surgery will also be performed, and the new technology products can simultaneously prevent two major problems.