Australian Scientists Have a New Glaucoma Test

"UNSW Australia scientists have developed a testing protocol that identifies the blinding eye disease glaucoma four years earlier than current techniques," reports Science Daily. "The patented method involves patients looking at small dots of light of specially chosen size and light intensity. An inability to see them indicates blind spots in the eye and early loss of peripheral vision. A study assessing 13 patients using this improved technique for visual field testing has been recently published in the journal Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics." Read more.

Contact Lenses Coated with Peptides Reduce Infection and Are Safe, Says New Study

Contact lenses coated with a peptide lower the risk of infections, reports a study in Optometry and Vision Science. Researchers from the University of New South Wales in Sydney evaluated the safety of wearing contact lenses covalently bonded with melimine, a cationic peptide.  Peptides, part of the immune system, can inhibit microbial growth. Their results indicate that melimine-coated CLs are safe and biocompatible. The coated contacts caused increased staining of the cornea. Patients rated the comfort of coated and non-coated lenses the same. There was no delayed reactions to wearing the coated lenses, such as red eye, and the peptide remained active a day after the lenses were removed. Read more.