(January 9, 2015) EPFL
researchers have participated in the development of a contact lens for the
early detection of glaucoma. Clinical trials are being conducted at the CHUV.
Glaucoma, which results from excessive pressure in the eye,
is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide, after cataracts. Painless
and invisible, this insidious disease is often detected too late by doctors,
once the optic nerve has already been damaged.
In Neuchâtel, the startup Tissot Medical Research (TMR)
commissioned researchers from EPFL and Haute Ecole Arc to develop a single-use
contact lens capable of measuring intraocular pressure continuously for 24
hours. This could track glaucoma day and night – a major revolution for
specialists.