Eye News and Research

Latest Eye News and Research

Handheld SD-OCT device helps examine vitreoretinal interface in infants with SBS

Ophthalmologists examining infants for possible Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) found that a handheld Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography (SD-OCT) device provided high-resolution images of the retina and the vitreoretinal interface in infants with SBS, reports a study in the current issue of Retina, The Journal of Retinal and Vitreous Diseases.

17 Apr 2010

Japanese ministry approves DIQUAS Ophthalmic Solution 3% for dry eye treatment

Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. and Inspire Pharmaceuticals, Inc. announced today that the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare granted approval for the new dry eye treatment drug, DIQUAS Ophthalmic Solution 3% (generic name: diquafosol tetrasodium), on April 16, 2010.

From Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. 17 Apr 2010

APiX View Detection Kits available for ultra-sensitive chromogenic detection of protein microarrays

Gentel Biosciences, a leader in proteomics discovery tools, today announced the availability of the APiX View Detection Kits for ultra-sensitive chromogenic detection of protein microarrays, including reverse phase protein such as SomaPlex arrays from Protein Biotechnologies.

17 Apr 2010

Sen. Rockefeller casts 'a watchful eye' on insurers' accounting practices

Dow Jones Newswires/ NASDAQ: "A report released Thursday by the chairman of the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee cautioned against health insurers using 'creative accounting' to meet new requirements for the amount of premium dollars they spend on patient care." The requirement is that insurers spend 80 percent of the premiums they collect on patient care for small group and individual plans, and 85 percent for large group plans (Brin, 4/15).

17 Apr 2010

RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals proposes common stock public offering

RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc., a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of a novel therapeutic peptide, Thymosin beta 4, for tissue and organ protection, repair and regeneration in cardiovascular diseases, central nervous system injuries, ophthalmic indications and dermal wounds, announced today that it intends to offer units consisting of shares of its common stock and warrants to purchase shares of its common stock in a public offering.

17 Apr 2010

MinuteClinic helps patients take control of allergies with treatment services seven days a week

As trees blossom and shed their pollen and grasses and weeds germinate in yards and fields across America, allergy sufferers are retreating indoors with seemingly no relief in sight. MinuteClinic, the walk-in medical clinic inside select CVS/pharmacy stores, can help patients breathe easier and take control of their allergies this spring with treatment services available seven days a week, including weekday evening hours.

16 Apr 2010

Volcanic ash falls across Europe

Flights were cancelled across Europe today thanks to volcanic ash drifting in to northern Europe from Iceland. More than 250 flights were grounded from London’s Gatwick and Heathrow airports alone, leaving thousands of passengers stranded. The ash is drifting in from a volcanic eruption in Iceland and the cloud is capable of damaging jet engines that travel through it.

16 Apr 2010

Spring is busting out all over - and so are eye allergies

Ah, spring. The time of year when trees and flowers bloom sending pollen into the air and causing sneezing, runny noses and watery eyes. The Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America estimates that 1 in 5 individuals are affected by eye allergies.

15 Apr 2010

Earplugs and eye masks could help intensive care patients get better night's sleep

Eye masks and earplugs could help hospital patients get a better night's sleep. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal Critical Care investigated their effect on sleep quality in a simulated intensive care environment.

15 Apr 2010

Bedtime video-games have no significant effect on adolescents’ sleep patterns

A study in the April 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine suggests that playing a video game before bedtime has only a mild effect on the sleep of older male teens.

15 Apr 2010

Senate Democrats eye COBRA subsidy extension through Memorial Day

Democrats are trying to get Republicans to extend jobless benefits -- including a program to subsidize health insurance coverage for laid-off workers -- through Memorial Day, The Associated Press reports.

15 Apr 2010

Ophthalmologist implants radioactive discs in the eyes of children with rare cancer

An ophthalmologist at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis is implanting radioactive discs in the eyes of children with a rare cancer in an attempt to save their vision and their eyes.

15 Apr 2010

Ban on Gay men from donating blood to be reviewed in light of new evidence

Australian Red Cross Blood Service (ARCBS) has recently announced plans for a review of Australia's ban on sexually-active gay men donating blood. Canada, Scotland, Sweden and New Zealand have already conducted such reviews and the US is soon to follow suit.

14 Apr 2010

'Forgotten' cells in brain cancer

Glioblastoma is a guileful enemy. While most of the brain tumor can often be removed surgically, in virtually every case the tumor reappears. One reason for this is that sporadic, infiltrative tumor cells will remain in the brain even after most careful surgery. Researchers at the University of Bonn have now subjected these 'forgotten' cells to closer scrutiny for the first time.

13 Apr 2010

Optovue founds "Eye-Give" non-profit foundation

Optovue, a pioneer in fourier/spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT), has founded "Eye-Give," a non-profit foundation for the purposes of donating technology and funding to sight saving charities and organizations around the world.

13 Apr 2010

Implanting blue light-filtering IOLs during cataract surgery may help preserve retina health

Implanting blue light-filtering intraocular lenses during cataract surgery helps maintain visual function and may preserve the health of the retina, specifically in disease states such as age-related macular degeneration, according to a comprehensive review published in the May/June 2010 edition of Survey of Ophthalmology.

13 Apr 2010

New tool for retrieving accurate drug side-effect information

It's not uncommon for individuals to take as many as a dozen different prescriptions, each with its own set of possible side effects. If a patient experiences one of the potential hundreds of different adverse reactions such as nausea, headaches, insomnia or heart palpitations, how does the physician quickly and accurately determine which drug is the culprit?

13 Apr 2010

New endoscopic scanning technique improves early detection of dysplasia in Barrett's esophagus

Cancer of the lower esophagus develops almost exclusively in patients with Barrett's esophagus, an otherwise benign complication of esophageal reflux that affects approximately 3 million Americans. Although the prognosis of patients diagnosed with esophageal cancer is poor, the chances of successful treatment increase significantly if the disease is detected at an early dysplastic stage.

13 Apr 2010

Spring storms present a worse scenario for asthma and allergy patients

While spring storms get comprehensive coverage during weather casts, a close look at local allergy indexes make the thunder and lightning seem downright puny.

13 Apr 2010

Hunter Valley cancer cluster report to be made public

Cancer cases may have manifested as brain tumors in the local population in Upper Hunter Valley as a result of pollution from mines and power stations. With five residents in a single block in Singleton being diagnosed with brain tumors a public inquiry to establish just how harmful dust and toxins from the mines and power stations are had been constituted by the state government.

13 Apr 2010