TEACHABLE MEDICAL NEWS

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Tag: special senses

Can we really carry out vision tests with AR goggles and artificial intelligence app?

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On July 17, 2023

In nervous system, special senses

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. special senses chapter – location of retina, the third tunic of the eye
  2. special senses chapter – location and importance of macula lutea
  3. special senses chapter – the retina needs blood supply to bring oxygen and nutrients to the neurons of the retina
  4. special senses chapter – location of liquid-filled spaces inside the eye
  5. special senses chapter – the sensory cells called rods and cones of the retina detect light

The news item:  Recently the following news report appeared online:

 

Duncansville Eye Practice Using AR-Type Headset to Diagnose Major Eye Issues

A Duncansville eye practice is using a new augmented-reality device made by Florida-based company Heru to diagnose severe conditions in patients. This AR-like headset can detect serious eye diseases like Glaucoma in minutesand it’s being used right here in Blair County.

The report states that the HERU is a headset with goggles, and the equipment projects flashes of light in the visual field of the eye, and asks the test subject to respond when they see the light. Among other conditions, glaucoma can be diagnosed with the device.

So, Why Do I Care??  Deterioration of vision is a major threat to quality of life in an aging population. The most serious causes of vision loss are glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration, affect over 13 million people in the US. Faster and easier to perform diagnostic process can ensure that people can get an early diagnosis, and more effective treatment. In addition to those two eye disorders the HERU device can diagnose 7 additional eye disorders, indicating the versatility of the device.

Plain English, Please!!!  First, let’s talk about what glaucoma is. This eye disorder develops because of the increased pressure inside the eye. The pressure is coming from the accumulation of aqueous humor in the front (anterior) cavity inside the eye. The increased pressure is then transferred to the vitreous humor of the posterior cavity.  The vitreous humor compresses the blood vessels on the surface of the retina, and that slows the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the light-sensing cells (rods and cones). Picture a garden hose with water flowing through it. If someone steps on the hose the water flow slows down. The same happens to blood vessels of the retina if they are compressed. Without enough oxygen and nutrients the rods and cones start dying, and they no longer detect light, and that leads to vision loss.

Second, let’s talk about what age-related macular degeneration is. This eye disorder develops when a small patch of the retina, the macula lutea, malfunctions. The cause of macular degeneration is

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Can a protein from pig skin restore vision to blind people?

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On January 15, 2023

In lymphatic and immune system, special senses, tissues

TeachableMedicalNews article 01152023

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. special senses chapter – tunics/layers of the eye
  2. special senses chapter – structure of the cornea
  3. tissues chapter – collagen is found in the extracellular matrix of many connective tissues
  4. immune system chapter – recognition of non-self antigens
  5. immune system chapter – role of lymphocytes for immune functions

The news item:  Recently this news item was online:

Eye implant made from pig protein restored sight in 14 blind people

Twenty people with diseased or damaged corneas saw improvements to their vision after receiving implants engineered out of protein from pigskin.

The article states that collagen from pig skin was helpful in restoring vision to people with the disorder called keratoconus, that this disease represents a bulging of the front of the eye, that about 50-200 from 100,000 people have this disease, and that the treatment includes injection of this collagen into the cornea.

So, Why Do I Care??  Our vision is the most precious sense, so, any loss of visual capacity has a major effect on our quality of life. The misshaped cornea causes loss of sharp vision.  As the article states keratoconus is a relatively rare disorder, nonetheless it is important to keep an account of any remedy that restores vision.

Plain English, Please!!! First, let’s talk about what keratoconus is. At the front of the eyeball there is a transparent sheet called cornea. From the side it looks like a flat bubble. The cornea focuses light into the eye. In some people the cornea has a pointy shape like a small ice cream cone. This keratoconus condition prevents the focusing of light, so, blurred, cloudy vision is the result.

Second, let’s talk about the injection into the cornea. While the cornea is a very thin sheet of tissue, it is possible to inject materials into the sheet.  Because the cornea is flexible, injection of the proper amount

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Can we really put an implant inside the eye to deliver drugs to treat eye diseases?

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On June 15, 2022

In cellular basis of life, special senses

TeachableMedicalNews article 06152022

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. cellular basis of life chapter – diffusion as a means of molecular movement
  2. special senses chapter – the photoreceptors rods and cones are in the retina
  3. special senses chapter – liquid-filled chambers of the eye
  4. special senses chapter – sclera, the white of the eye, is the toughest, outer layer

Can we put an implant inside the eye to deliver drugs to treat eye diseases?

The news item:  Recently a report appeared about a drug, Susvimo, that reverses blindness:

New technology helps Georgetown veteran restore his eyesight

If you’re living with blurry vision, there’s a chance a new device can help you get your eyesight back without frequent visits to the doctor. The newly FDA-approved Susvimo implant helped one Georgetown veteran preserve his vision after being diagnosed with wet age-related macular degeneration.

The article states that AMD (wet, age-related macular degeneration) is the leading cause of blindness over the age 60, that this disorder is caused by growth and scarring of blood vessels under the retina, and that drug-delivery through an implant has restored vision in 90% of the treated individuals.

So, Why Do I Care??  Eye diseases can rob people of their vision. Many of such diseases are treated by injection of a drug into the eye. It is estimated that there are over 10 million such injections per year in the USA. Because chronic eye disorders require several injections into the same eye, it is worth exploring alternative delivery systems for long-term administration of drugs.

Plain English, Please!!!   First, let’s review the action of Susvimo, the drug we will use as an example to learn about implants inside the eye. In a previous post of Teachable Medical News (TMN 05252022), we described the action of the drug Susvimo. Here is a brief summary:  Normally the light-sensing cell in the

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How does drug injection into the eye save people from blindness?

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On May 24, 2022

In cardiovascular system, nervous system, special senses

TeachableMedicalNews article 05252022

Teachable moment in classrooms:

  1. special senses chapter – location of macula lutea in the retina of the eye
  2. special senses chapter – the photoreceptors rods and cones are in the retina
  3. hemodynamics chapter – capillaries are the thinnest blood vessels
  4. hemodynamics chapter – endothelial cell location in capillaries

The news item:  Recently a report appeared about a drug that restores eyesight:

New technology helps Georgetown veteran restore his eyesight

If you’re living with blurry vision, there’s a chance a new device can help you get your eyesight back without frequent visits to the doctor. The newly FDA-approved Susvimo implant helped one Georgetown veteran preserve his vision after being diagnosed with wet age-related macular degeneration.

The article states that AMD (wet, age-related macular degeneration) is the leading cause of blindness over the age 60, that this disorder is caused by growth and scarring of blood vessels under the retina, and that the drug-delivery implant has restored vision in 90% of the treated individuals.

So, Why Do I Care??  Blindness is a condition where a significant part of the eyesight is lost, and such loss has a severe negative impact on people’s lives. In the USA alone there are about a million patients with wet age-related macular degeneration, and without treatment most of them will go blind.

Plain English, Please!!!   First, let’s talk about how the structure called macula plays a role in our vision. When we say we see something, the image of that something has to be turned into a nerve impulse so

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