Tear-Jerking Implant Could Treat Dry Eye
A former Stanford Biodesign fellow is currently developing an implantable neurostimulator that could alleviate the symptoms of dry eye. If successful, the device could meet a significant area of unmet need in ophthalmology.
The device consists of two parts, one of which is implanted in the mucous membrane of the nasal cavity, and another that is inserted under the skin directly below the eyebrow. Together, the implants deliver micro-electric pulses to the lacrimal gland and stimulate natural tear production, which can be adjusted wirelessly, reports the Stanford Medicine News Center.
Michael Ackermann developed the idea during his fellowship at Stanford Biodesign, which admits twelve fellows per year to study and develop projects based on current unmet medical needs. Ackermann and his team of four fellow scientists chose ophthalmology and began by recording clinical needs observed at an ophthalmologist’s practice. The team noted that one out of three patients seen in the office was suffering from dry eye.
Mark Blumenkranz, chair of ophthalmology at Stanford and mentor for the project, agreed with Ackermann’s assessment that dry eye would be a useful area to explore. He remarked to Stanford Medicine News Center: “There are very poor treatment options for my dry eye patients.”
According to the National Eye Institute (NEI), current treatment options include prescription medicine or lacrimal plugs that block existing tears from draining away from the eye. If the problem persists, a doctor may elect to close the drainage holes permanently.
The most popular prescription drug option is an anti-inflammatory medication called cyclosporine. Because the drug can take anywhere from three to six months to work, many patients with severe dry eye use the medication in conjunction with corticosteroid eye drops for the first few months.
Blumenkranz told Stanford Medicine News Center that the drug had a high dropout rate.
“We observed that more than half of our dry-eye patients stop taking cyclosporine after a few months,” he said.
Paul Yock, director of Stanford Biodesign, said: “The key to biomedical technology innovation is getting the need right. Michael and his team appreciated that dry eye was a latent need, in that these patients were being inadequately treated, with no real breakthrough in years.”
After finishing his Stanford fellowship, Ackermann launched Oculeve in May of 2014 with the hopes of further developing and clinically testing his product. The San Francisco Business Times reports that the new company has raised 16.6 million dollars in investments.
Image Credit: Michael Ackermann