青光眼患者福音：用手机测眼压

    曼德尔解释道：“它的原理非常简单。眼内压会导致设备内的液柱位置变化，然后读取它的读数即可，原理很像温度计。”

    青光眼专家们都对这款设备表示欢迎，并表示它与以往的测量方法相比有很多优点，包括它可以显示读数，而且可以随时监测。

    美国青光眼研究基金会（Glaucoma Research Foundation）的董事会主席、旧金山青光眼中心常务主任安德鲁•伊瓦施表示：“如果患者做了白内障手术的话，如果在做手术的同时，你把这款设备植入进去，那么就能更精确地监测眼压，这是有巨大好处的。”伊瓦施还是青光眼基金会“青光眼360”活动的发起人，这个活动旨在召集青光眼研究专家、行业高管和慈善人士来寻找治疗青光眼的方法。

    他表示：“因此，如果你看看风险收益比，问题就不会是你为什么要植入，而是你为什么不植入。”

    欧洲也有一款类似的可以随时测量眼压的设备，名叫Sensimed Triggerfish。不过这款接触式镜片传感器并非直接测量眼压，导致测量结果精确度不高。另外根据《眼科学报》（Arch of Ophthalmol）2012年的一份研究显示，它会导致80%的患者出现视觉模糊和其它负作用。

    伊瓦施指出，由于美国市场缺乏一款可以测量眼压的可靠设备，现在至少有五家以上的公司都在这个领域进行竞争，他们都希望能第一个在美国市场上推出植入式眼压测量设备。

    伊瓦施表示：“这是一场令人兴奋的竞争。大家都意识到，第一个进入市场、第一个知道怎样最好地测量眼压的公司，可能会给青光眼的治疗带来革命性的效果，而且最终会造福患者。”

    虽然上文提到的这款微传感器还是该领域的第一款设备，但它离正式商用还有好几年。目前它只在猪身上测试过。因此曼德尔表示，下一步重点是要进一步深入研究，以确保它对人体的安全性，并且确保它能长期妥善地存在于眼部。

    曼德尔表示：“作为科学家，我们总是对我们和其他人做的事感到怀疑。不过虽然前路还有一些挑战需要克服，但这款设备的确带给我们很多希望。”（财富中文网）

    译者：朴成奎

    “It looks very simple,” Mandel said. “The pressure in the eye causes a shift in the position of the fluid column in the device which then can be read much like the temperature in a thermometer.”

    Glaucoma experts welcomed news of the device, saying it offers several advantages over the current methods including that it reads the pressure and does it around the clock.

    “If patient comes in for cataract surgery and, if at the same time you can implant the device that would allow monitoring IOP more accurately and remotely, that has a huge benefit,” Dr. Andrew Iwach, chairman of board for the Glaucoma Research Foundation and executive director Glaucoma Center of San Francisco said. He also founded the foundation’s annual event, Glaucoma 360, which brings together researchers, industry executives and philanthropist to find a cure for glaucoma.

    “So if you look at the risk benefit ratio the question wouldn’t be why did you put it in but why you didn’t put it in,” he said.

    There is a similar device available in Europe to measure pressure around the clock called the Sensimed Triggerfish. But this contact lens sensor doesn’t measure the eye pressure directly, which makes it less accurate and, according to a 2012 study in Arch of Ophthalmol, caused blurred vision and other adverse reactions in over 80 percent of the patients.

    Iwach said the lack of a reliable device to measure pressure in the American market has prompted a competition of sorts with at least five companies vying to be the first to get a device inserted into the eye, which transmits an electronic signal out onto the American market.

    “This is an exciting a horse race,” Iwach said. “Different camps realize the first to market, the one who figures out how to do this best, is going to potentially revolutionize how we manage glaucoma and ultimately patients will be better for it.”

    While showing promise to be the first, the latest device still is several years away from being commercially feasible. It has only been tested in pigs so the next step, Mandel said, is to do further research to ensure the device is safe in humans and can remain in the eye for an extended period of time.

    “As scientist we are always skeptical about what we and others do,” Mandel said. “There are challenges that have to overcome but this device shows a lot of promise.”