Novel device brings tears to treat
'dry eye' syndrome
New York: Scientists have
developed a device that electronically stimulates tear production, which will
offer hope to sufferers of dry eye syndrome, one of the most common eye
afflictions in the world.
The researchers discovered the afferent
neural pathway -- the neural pathway from sensory neurons to the brain which
activates the reflex tearing -- offered an even more efficient way to enhance
tear production.
The device, 16 mm long, 3-4 mm wide and
1-2 mm thick, was implanted beneath the inferior lacrimal gland in a rabbit's
eyes. It was wireless and increased the generation of tears by nearly 57
percent
"I've been working on electro-neural
interfaces for about a decade, but the idea to stimulate lacrimal gland for
tear production came from my postdoctoral fellow, Michael Ackermann," said
study author Daniel Palanker from Stanford University.
Dry eye leads to inflammation of the cornea
and conjunctiva.
"The biggest surprise for us was
discovering that stimulating the afferent neural pathway provided a more potent
and long-lasting tear response," Palanker added.
The study was published in the Journal of Neural
Engineering.
Source: www.zeenews.india.com
12.12.2015
Start with what is right rather than what is
acceptable
Peter F. Drucker
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