©Bacila Vlad via Unsplash
Smart contact lenses are emerging as potential new weapons against glaucoma and other eye diseases: these devices, developed by a research group led by the Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation (USA), are capable of monitoring parameters such as intraocular pressure in real time, and delivering the medication needed to correct any abnormalities.
As the Institut Supérieur de la Santé explains, glaucoma is a disease that progressively damages the optic nerve, in a slow but severe manner, causing alterations in the visual field, with a reduction in the peripheral visual field which, in more advanced stages, can lead to blindness.
According to data from the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, it is estimated that over 80 million people suffer from glaucoma, and these figures are set to rise as the population ages. In Italy, there are around one million patients, but at least half are unaware that they have the disease. In the absence of specific risk factors, a first targeted glaucoma check-up should be carried out around the age of 40. This screening should be carried out earlier in the presence of risk factors such as a family history of glaucoma, high intraocular pressuree, moderate to high myopia, diabetes, hypertension, prolonged use of corticosteroids, and in people of African or Latin American origin.
Current treatments
Glaucoma is best treated by keeping intraocular pressure under control, using a variety of commercially available eye drops. They have very few side effects and are often highly effective, at least in the early stages.
What's for more, since glaucoma is actually a neurodegenerative pathology (since it progressively affects the optic nerve), it's also possible to use neuroprotective drugs (such as citicoline), which aim to halt the process of neuronal death, thus slowing the progression of the disease. Finally, when all else fails, surgery is used.
But doctors are constantly reminding us that the visual damage caused by glaucoma is irreversible. The first and foremost weapon against glaucoma (as with many diseases) is therefore prevention. Early diagnosis can make all the difference, enabling preventive treatments to be put in place as quickly as possible.
A new ray of hope
We may soon have a new weapon at our disposal: smart contact lenses that combine real-time monitoring of intraocular pressure, based on artificial intelligence, with a closed-circuit treatment system.
"By combining continuous monitoring, intelligent data interpretation and reactive drug delivery within a single wearable platform," the researchers explain. "This technology represents a major advance in the management of ocular pathologies such as glaucoma."
The technology has shown promising results in the laboratory, paving the way for future clinical applications.
"Our goal was to create a platform that not only monitors the disease in real time, but also intervenes immediately," explains Yangzhi Zhu, who led the study. "By integrating drug detection and delivery in a single smart contact lens, we are moving towards a more precise and personalized approach to treating eye pathologies. We hope that this technology can ultimately improve patients' quality of life, reducing the burden of traditional treatment methods."
The study was published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
Sources : Terasaki Institute for Biomedical Innovation / Science Translational Medicine
(©GreenMe.it 2026/Managing editor: Selma Keshkire - The Press Junction/Picture: Bacila Vlad via UnsplashS