Thursday, March 21, 2019

Adhesive gel to repair eye injury without surgery

 American scientists have designed an adhesive gel that can seal wound or ulcers on the surface of the eye, thus sparing the need for eye surgery.

The study  showed that the gel packed with light-activated chemicals can not only close the defect but also regenerate it, the news agency reported.

“We wanted this material to allow the cells of the cornea to mesh with the adhesive and to regenerate over time to mimic something as close to the native cornea as possible,” said the paper’s co-corresponding author, a professor of ophthalmology.

The gel is clear and viscous in a dropper or syringe, but when exposed to blue light in a short time, it hardens to take on features of a native cornea, and the the cornea cells gradually grow into and become one with the gel, according to the study.

The gel is the first to use visible blue light as opposed to ultraviolet light, which carries a level of toxicity.

In a pre-clinical study, the researchers administered the gel at 20 per cent concentration to corneal defects of 3 mm, and applied visible light for four minutes, leading to a firm adhesion to the defect.

One day later, they observed a transparent, smooth eye surface without inflammation. Over time, the tissue regenerated and the new tissue showed few differences with the native one, according to the study.

The researchers expected to start clinical trials to test the technology in human patients in approximately one year.

Corneal injuries are a common cause of visual impairment worldwide, with more than 1.5 million new cases of corneal blindness reported every year. Some of them require corneal transplants that carry risks of post-transplant complications like infection or rejection.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                    PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/                                                                                                                                                         FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                  https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/           

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Tuesday, February 05, 2019

Novel pacemakers can be powered with light

Scientists have developed a tiny solar cell that encourages the heart to beat, an advance that may pave the way for pacemakers powered by light. Researchers created a flexible mesh out of silicon, that when activated by flashes of light, creates a tiny electro-chemical effect which can stimulate the heart muscle in a unique way.
They started with one of their own designs previously used to stimulate neurons, but made the mesh thinner to easily wrap around the heart and strewed tiny nano-wires across its surface to attach to cardiac cells. A small optical beam scans the area with a laser. Each flash activates the cells, causing the heart to beat at the same frequency as the light, according to the study.

“Unlike today’s pacemakers, this method appears to ‘train’ the cardiac muscle to beat,” said an associate professor.

It takes a while for the effect to kick in, but the muscles continue to fire for some time after the light pulses are stopped. The method is still early in development. If implanted in humans, the mesh could be injected at the target site, and a small optical fibre that would deliver the light pulses could be inserted through minimally invasive surgery, the asst. Prof. said.

THIS IS ONLY FOR INFORMATION, ALWAYS CONSULT YOU PHYSICIAN BEFORE HAVING ANY PARTICULAR FOOD/ MEDICATION/EXERCISE/OTHER REMEDIES.                                    PS- THOSE INTERESTED IN RECIPES ARE FREE TO  VIEW MY BLOG-                                                                                           https://gseasyrecipes.blogspot.com/       
                                                                                                                                                                      FOR INFO ABOUT KNEE REPLACEMENT, YOU CAN VIEW MY BLOG-                                                  https:// kneereplacement-stickclub.blogspot.com/           
                                                                         
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