University of Michigan ophthalmologist Thomas Gardner, MD, is working to make a safer device to screen for vision-threatening conditions, according to a Sept. 28 news release from the university.
The hand-held, disposable device, called the Mini-Vit, uses a needle inside a larger needle that can cut the gelatinous fluid of the eye, the statement said. It's being funded by the Fast Forward Medical Innovation Kickstart Program, the Coulter Translational Research Partnership Program and the Taubman Institute.
Dr. Gardner is working with Jeffrey Sundstrom, MD, PhD, of Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey (Pa.) Medical Center and Lauro Ojeda, a researcher in the University of Michigan's engineering department, according to the release.
Many eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy can look similar under examination, the release said. However, drawing fluid from the eye to test isn't a first choice for clinicians, Dr. Gardner said.
"Many clinicians are hesitant to put a needle in someone's eye without a strong indication that something is wrong, and that's normally when there's an infection," Dr. Gardner said in a statement. "And for those that do get a diagnostic test done, it's often difficult to get an adequate sample."
Often, collecting fluid from the eye is done by a retina surgeon, which can be an expensive process, the statement said. The needle can also clog while drawing the gelatinous fluid.
"Regular needles don't work all the time, and we need them to work all the time," Dr. Gardner said.
Read the full press release here.