Currently, glaucoma patients cannot give the correct dosage of medication in response to their IOP levels using IOP sensors.
The optic nerve malfunctions in glaucoma is a common ocular condition brought on by elevated intraocular pressure. IOP is brought on by obstruction of the drainage canal in the eye. In severe circumstances, this disease can cause vision loss by reducing peripheral vision. Patients with glaucoma must continuously control their IOP levels. The IOP in these patients would be automatically monitored and controlled, vastly enhancing their quality of life. In order to manage IOP measurement and medicine administration, a research team at POSTECH recently created a smart contact lens by fusing an IOP sensor and a flexible drug delivery system.
The study was published in Nature Communications.
Development of the smart lens:
A wireless theranostic smart contact lens has been created by a POSTECH research team. They were under the direction of Professor Sei Kwang Hahn and Dr. Tae Yeon Kim. They monitored and managed intraocular pressure in glaucoma.
The research team’s smart contact lens contains an IOP sensor that makes use of hollow gold nanowires.
For both monitoring and controlling IOP in glaucoma, it is integrated with a flexible medication delivery system. Additionlly, it has a wireless power and communication system, and an application-specific integrated circuit chip.
Particularly noteworthy are the IOP sensor’s great chemical stability, biocompatibility, and great sensitivity to ocular strain.
Timolol for controlling IOP can also be delivered on demand thanks to the adaptable medication delivery system.
Theranostic smart contact lenses allowed for real-time IOP detection and drug release. It was calibrated to the level of IOP in glaucoma-affected rabbits. And this was successfully proven by the researchers.
A tailored glaucoma treatment with optimum efficacy and minimal side effects is hoped to be made feasible by the new smart contact lens.
Additionally, extra wearable devices would be able to use the feedback system.
Parvathy Sukumaran 
