PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Smartphones could help to prevent glaucoma blindness - study

2021-02-25
(Press-News.org) Smartphones could be used to scan people's eyes for early-warning signs of glaucoma - helping to prevent severe ocular diseases and blindness, a new study reveals.

Some of the most common eye-related diseases are avoidable and display strong risk factors before onset, but it is much harder to pinpoint a group of people at risk from glaucoma.

Glaucoma is associated with elevated levels of intraocular pressure (IOP) and an accurate, non-invasive way of monitoring an individual's IOP over an extended period would help to significantly increase their chances of maintaining their vision.

Soundwaves used as a mobile measurement method would detect increasing values of IOP, prompting early diagnosis and treatment.

Scientists at the University of Birmingham have successfully carried out experiments using soundwaves and an eye model, publishing their findings in Engineering Reports.

Co-author Dr. Khamis Essa, Director of the Advanced Manufacturing Group at the University of Birmingham, commented: "We discovered a relationship between the internal pressure of an object and its acoustic reflection coefficient. With further investigation into eye geometry and how this affects the interaction with soundwaves, it possible to use a smartphone to accurately measure IOP from the comfort of the user's home."

Risk factors for other eye diseases are easier to assess - for example, in the case of diabetic retinopathy, individuals with diabetes are specifically at risk and are constantly monitored for tiny bulges that develop in the blood vessels of the eye.

The current 'gold standard' method of measuring IOP is applanation tonometry, where numbing drops followed by non-toxic dye are applied to the patient's eyes. There are problems and measurement errors associated with this method.

An independent risk factor of glaucoma is having a thin central corneal thickness (CCT) - either by natural occurrence or a common procedure like laser eye surgery. A thin CCT causes artificially low readings of IOP when using applanation tonometry.

The only way to verify the reading is by a full eye examination - not possible in a mobile situation. Also, the equipment is too expensive for most people to purchase for long-term home monitoring.

IOP is a vital measurement of healthy vision, defined as pressure created by continued renewal of eye fluids.

Ocular hypertension is caused by an imbalance in production and drainage of aqueous fluid - most common in older adults. Risk increases with age, in turn increasing the likelihood of an individual developing glaucoma.

Glaucoma is a disease of the optic nerve which is estimated to affect 79.6 million people world-wide and, if left untreated, causes irreversible damage. In most cases, blindness can be prevented with appropriate control and treatment.

INFORMATION:

For more information, please contact Tony Moran, International Communications Manager, University of Birmingham on +44 (0) 121 414 8254 or +44 (0)782 783 2312. For out-of-hours enquiries, please call +44 (0) 7789 921 165.

Notes to editors:

The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world's top 100 institutions, and its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers and teachers and more than 6,500 international students from nearly 150 countries. 'Testing the viability of measuring intraocular pressure using soundwaves from a smartphone' - Matthew Soanes, Khamis Essa and Haider Butt - is published in Engineering Reports. The research paper can be accessed at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/eng2.12355



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Virus detection method is versatile and accessible

2021-02-25
A safe, fast and cheap testing method that uses magnetic nanoparticles to detect viruses in both clinical and wastewater samples has been developed by KAUST researchers. The centrifuge-free approach is compatible with magnetic bead-based automated systems that are already used to process hundreds of samples. "Our silica magnetic nanoparticle-based workflow can be assembled from scratch by any researcher," says lead author Gerardo Ramos-Mandujano. "It rivals commercial viral-RNA extraction kits while lowering the risk of handling potentially infectious samples." To diagnose COVID-19, clinicians extract SARS-CoV-2 viral RNA from different types of clinical samples, such as nasopharyngeal swabs, and detect the virus using ...

Important steps for transforming toxic molecules in air at low temperatures

Important steps for transforming toxic molecules in air at low temperatures
2021-02-25
Air pollution from fuel combustion is one of the greatest environmental problems, especially in urban environments. In densely populated cities, the presence of nitrogen oxides, very small carbon particles, and carbon monoxide (CO) in the air seriously harms the human health and increases mortality. A collaboration between researchers from the University of Barcelona and from the Boreskov Institute of Catalysis of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Novosibirsk (Russia) opens the way for reducing emissions of automotive pollutants. In a recent study, the scientists ...

Super-resolution RNA imaging in live cells

Super-resolution RNA imaging in live cells
2021-02-25
Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is key to various fundamental biological processes. It transfers genetic information, translates it into proteins or supports gene regulation. To achieve a more detailed understanding of the precise functions it performs, researchers based at Heidelberg University and at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) have devised a new fluorescence imaging method which enables live-cell RNA imaging with unprecedented resolution. The method is based on a novel molecular marker called Rhodamine-Binding Aptamer for Super-Resolution Imaging Techniques (RhoBAST). This RNA-based fluorescence marker is used in combination with the dye rhodamine. Due to their distinctive properties, marker and dye interact in a very specific way, which makes individual RNA molecules ...

Building bridges between atoms and making catalysts of high quality

2021-02-25
Similar to the fact that a person would act differently when being alone, materials can also obtain unique qualities when being separated in atom-level, among which is the enhanced catalyzing ability. Single-atom catalysts have shown enormous catalyzing capability since its first appearance. By preparing 2-dimensional (2D) single-atom monolayer crystals, scientists can expect to get catalysts with high loading density of active sites as well as great stability. However, the question herein is that only the edge atoms in the 2D monolayer have shown this effect while most of the atoms are inside the basal plane, which is critically limiting the efficiency ...

Graphene filter makes carbon capture more efficient and cheaper

Graphene filter makes carbon capture more efficient and cheaper
2021-02-25
One of the main culprits of global warming is the vast amount of carbon dioxide pumped out into the atmosphere mostly from burning fossil fuels and the production of steel and cement. In response, scientists have been trying out a process that can sequester waste carbon dioxide, transporting it into a storage site, and then depositing it at a place where it cannot enter the atmosphere. The problem is that capturing carbon from power plants and industrial emissions isn't very cost-effective. The main reason is that waste carbon dioxide isn't emitted pure, but is mixed with nitrogen and other gases, and extracting it from industrial emissions ...

Engaging in mobile gambling for social interaction can lead to problem gambling

Engaging in mobile gambling for social interaction can lead to problem gambling
2021-02-25
NUI Galway study finds problem and non-problem gamblers differ in the gratifications they seek from mobile gambling Non problematic mobile gambling is associated with positive mood Advice for regulators and mobile gamblers on how to avoid gambling harms A study carried out by the J.E. Cairnes School of Business and Economics at NUI Galway has examined how the different gratifications sought from mobile gambling explain problematic versus non-problematic patterns in highly involved gamblers. For a subgroup of vulnerable individuals, gambling involvement can be pathological and reflects a personality disorder. ...

Effective anxiety therapy changes personality

2021-02-25
Previous research from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) has shown that people with anxiety disorders can benefit from two types of therapy. But in a new NTNU study, the same patients also exhibited major changes on a scientific personality test. The treatment resulted in patients scoring lower on the neuroticism personality trait, and thereby perhaps having a lower risk of relapse. In general, the patients' personality profiles also normalized. "Our findings might apply to treatment in general. The risk of relapse could be less if we manage to reduce patients' neuroticism," says Professor Leif Edward Ottesen Kennair at NTNU's Department of Psychology. Two effective methods People ...

Model identifies risk of serious complications following surgery

2021-02-25
PHILADELPHIA - Heart attack, kidney failure, stroke. These are just a few of the life-threatening complications that patients are at risk for following surgery. Now Jefferson researchers have developed an easy-to-use, web-based tool that predicts the risk of post-surgical complications such as kidney failure and stroke. The model may help medical professionals put preventive measures in place before the need for emergency intervention. "We need to be able to assess the risk of life-threatening, post-surgical complications so we can then come up with individualized ways to ...

What's ahead for people with disabilities in the post-pandemic workplace?

2021-02-25
Amsterdam, February 25, 2021 - COVID-19 has wrought havoc on the global economy and the world's public health systems. People with disabilities are more likely to suffer severe cases of the disease. Experts advocate in this special issue of the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation that vocational rehabilitation across the major life phases of health, work, and education must focus on access to technology and home-based employment and ensure people with disabilities are prepared for the new global workplace. To date, 500,000 Americans who have acquired COVID-19 have died, making it the current leading cause of death in the United States with over 2.4 million deaths worldwide. Individuals with some types of disabilities, especially those with multiple ...

Dentists' tool boost as engineers get to root of tiny bubbles

2021-02-25
People's teeth-chattering experiences in the dentist's chair could be improved by fresh insights into how tiny, powerful bubbles are formed by ultra-fast vibrations, a study suggests. The physics of how so-called nanobubbles are generated could have a range of clinical and industrial applications, including in dental hygiene devices used to remove plaque, experts say. The findings could also inform the development of other technologies - such as devices to selectively target tumour cells - that harness the energy released when the bubbles burst. Engineers at the University of Edinburgh ran complex ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Thirty-year mystery of dissonance in the “ringing” of black holes explained

Less intensive works best for agricultural soil

Arctic rivers project receives “national champion” designation from frontiers foundation

Computational biology paves the way for new ALS tests

Study offers new hope for babies born with opioid withdrawal syndrome

UT, Volkswagen Group of America celebrate research partnership

New Medicare program could dramatically improve affordability for cancer drugs – if patients enroll

Are ‘zombie’ skin cells harmful or helpful? The answer may be in their shapes

University of Cincinnati Cancer Center presents research at AACR 2025

Head and neck, breast, lung and survivorship studies headline Dana-Farber research at AACR Annual Meeting 2025

AACR: Researchers share promising results from MD Anderson clinical trials

New research explains why our waistlines expand in middle age

Advancements in muon detection: Taishan Antineutrino Observatory's innovative top veto tracker

Chips off the old block

Microvascular decompression combined with nerve combing for atypical trigeminal neuralgia

Cutting the complexity from digital carpentry

Lung immune cell type “quietly” controls inflammation in COVID-19

Fiscal impact of expanded Medicare coverage for GLP-1 receptor agonists to treat obesity

State and sociodemographic trends in US cigarette smoking with future projections

Young adults drive historic decline in smoking

NFCR congratulates Dr. Robert C. Bast, Jr. on receiving the AACR-Daniel D. Von Hoff Award for Outstanding Contributions to Education and Training in Cancer Research

Chimpanzee stem cells offer new insights into early embryonic development

This injected protein-like polymer helps tissues heal after a heart attack

FlexTech inaugural issue launches, pioneering interdisciplinary innovation in flexible technology

In Down syndrome mice, 40Hz light and sound improve cognition, neurogenesis, connectivity

Methyl eugenol: potential to inhibit oxidative stress, address related diseases, and its toxicological effects

A vascularized multilayer chip reveals shear stress-induced angiogenesis in diverse fluid conditions

AI helps unravel a cause of Alzheimer's disease and identify a therapeutic candidate

Coalition of Autism Scientists critiques US Department of Health and Human Services Autism Research Initiative

Structure dictates effectiveness, safety in nanomedicine

[Press-News.org] Smartphones could help to prevent glaucoma blindness - study