Source: eurekalert .org

Rapid eye movements are significantly delayed in patients with glaucoma, even those in the early stages of the disease, research has found.

http://bit.ly/RfFTgg

Source: engadget .com

The lack of reliable electricity in developing countries puts a damper on more than just technology use -- having to run kerosene lamps, or even those based on solar power, often involves recurring costs that whittle away at very modest incomes. GravityLight has built an LED lamp that just might lift the burden. As the name implies, a weight (usually the very bag that the lamp ships in) generates electricity through natural force: the few seconds it takes to lift the weight can generate 30 minutes of light without ever replacing a battery or fuel supply.

http://engt.co/129JCgq

Source: gizmodo .com

As we trudge through December toward the holidays, snowfall becomes increasingly likely. But while it may be a pain in the ass when it falls, up close it looks incredibly beautiful—as these photographs demonstrate.

http://bit.ly/SRfKkK

Source: liebertpub .com

Abstract
In the ocular pharmacology market, there is a noteworthy unmet demand for more efficacious delivery of ocular therapeutics. Contact lenses are emerging as an alternative ophthalmic drug delivery system to resolve the drawbacks of the conventional topical application methods. Thus, contact lenses drug delivery systems have been developed to provide an increased residence time of the drug at the surface of the eye leading to enhanced bioavailability and more convenient and efficacious therapy.

http://bit.ly/RcsfdW

Source: technologyreview .com

A coming generation of retinal implants that fit entirely inside the eye will use nanoscale electronic components to dramatically improve vision quality for the wearer, according to two research teams developing such devices.

http://bit.ly/TNqD6a

Source: technologyreview .com

Windows might still suffer from a host of security woes, and cybercriminals are constantly attacking Microsoft’s operating system, but looking ahead, it won’t stand atop all others.

http://bit.ly/TImvHX

Source: kevinmd .com

You’ll never hear that when you call me. Never. You’ll also never get an automated answering system (I’m just referring to office hours, of course. Evenings and weekends the phone goes to Google Voice. More on that below.) We are also in the middle of a communication revolution. There are now so many other ways patients can contact me other than the telephone, the silly thing is almost becoming obsolete. I took a moment the other day just to go through all the various ways patients contact me.

http://bit.ly/VCkyuT

Source: gizmodo .com

Are you color blind? Maybe you are, maybe you aren't—but have you ever put that question to an actual test? You can, and it's very simple.

http://bit.ly/SxsAoc

Source: nfb .org

In protest of a recent push by Amazon.com to put Kindle e-books, which are inaccessible to blind students, into K-12 classrooms across the country, members and supporters of the National Federation of the Blind will conduct an informational picket at the company’s headquarters on Wednesday, December 12.

http://bit.ly/VxTjl6

Source: medicinenet .com

Pulling all-night study sessions to prepare for exams may work against college students, an expert cautions.

http://bit.ly/TC0G9B

Source: kevinmd .com

At the heart of healthcare operations are their processes – processes that must run correctly all the time to avoid unnecessary risk to patients’ lives and health.

http://bit.ly/QY6SN6

Source: modernmedicine .com

The National Eye Institute (NEI) is looking for Ideas that transcend the next step in vision research. In other words: Audacious Goals.

http://bit.ly/11xeSWu

Source: medgadget .com

Researchers from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have developed a device with which congenitally blind people will be able to see again to some extent. This “sonar vision” device transforms images into sound, enabling the blind to perceive visual information via the ear. Results of the conducted study using the technology were published in Neuron.

http://bit.ly/SCnYNo

Source: visionmonday .com

CNNMoney has ranked optometrist No. 12 on its recently released “100 Best Jobs in America” list. Highlighting what makes the job “great,” the list includes “Good pay without the frequent long hours and middle-of-the-night emergency calls doctors expect” and “Patients typically aren’t in pain or afraid, so visits tend to be low-key, and many stay with the same optometrist for years.” The researchers responsible for the list cite the median pay for an experienced optometrist as $105,000 and top pay as $149,000. They predict 33.1 percent job growth during years 2010-2020.

http://bit.ly/U8yv0w

Source: newsfromaoa .org

Optometrists who wish to provide eyeglasses for cataract patients under Medicare are subject to a new durable medical equipment prosthetics, orthotics and supplies (DMEPOS) registration fee every three years, according to the AOA Advocacy Group.

http://bit.ly/QWdbRk

Source: newsfromaoa .org

Donald J. Getz, O.D., a world-renowned behavioral optometrist, international lecturer, and author of five textbooks and countless journal articles on the subject of vision therapy for strabismus, learning disabilities, and sports vision, passed away Sept. 2.

http://bit.ly/TAbozK

Source: modernmedicine .com

More than one-quarter of people who've had an eyelid lift report symptoms of dry eye such as excessive watering and irritation, a new study suggests.

http://bit.ly/YjJk8u

Source: medscape .com

Hello, and welcome. I am Seth Bilazarian. I wanted to address physician burnout, something that has been in the news lately. Information on physician burnout came chiefly from an article [1] in the Archives of Internal Medicine that was written by the Mayo Group, in which they showed that 46% of 7000 physicians who were surveyed felt at least 1 aspect of burnout.

http://bit.ly/Sus9fS

Source: visionhelp.wordpress .com

At the end of Part 1 I included a link to a list of iPad Apps recently updated by our colleague Dr. Carole Hong and her staff. A special thanks to Dr. Michael Margaretten who frequently shares information about sites of interest, and one that increasingly focuses on iPad Apps is Paths to Literacy, a joint project between Perkins School for the Blind and Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired.

http://bit.ly/X7L1oa

Source: citeulike .org

Abstract
To identify the best treatment option for intermittent exotropia. A retrospective analysis of the progress of 150 treated intermittent exotropia patients was performed. Treatment forms considered are: (i) surgery combined with orthoptic/occlusion therapy; (ii) surgery; (iii) orthoptic/occlusion therapy; and (iv) observation. Pearson's chi(2)-analysis of association of therapy form with success was performed. Reduction of exodeviation in prism dioptres between groups and subgroups were compared at 6 months, 1, 2 and 5 years follow up and the "within group" variations were compared. Exodeviation reduction in prism dioptres per millimetre of horizontal rectus surgery performed in the "surgery with orthoptic/occlusion therapy" and "surgery only" groups were compared. Chi(2)-analysis revealed a significantly highest (P

http://bit.ly/Tw2wYU

Source: imedicalapps .com

Purpose of App Review
To evaluate the CataractSurgery and CataractMobile app as a fun way to increase knowledge about cataract surgery.

http://bit.ly/TkG4SU

Source: mobihealthnews .com

Based on the more rigorous surveys and reports, it’s still true that clinicians are generally more eager adopters of both mobile devices and the medical apps that run on them. The persistent challenge for many iPad-toting physicians, however, is where to turn for medical app recommendations. In its efforts to be at least somewhat helpful on that front, Apple has slightly reworked and beefed up its now more visible section of “Apps For Healthcare Professionals”, which appears to be consistently featured in the AppStore’s medical section now.

http://bit.ly/SsAyPp

Source: healio .com

TearLab reported a net loss of $4.6 million in the third quarter, compared to a net gain of $1.1 million in the same quarter last year, according to a press release.

http://bit.ly/Sd7iwd

Source: facebook .com

Guess who is playing at Philips Arena during SECO 2013?! Wednesday, February 27th...BON JOVI!

http://on.fb.me/UrksaW

Source: biomedcentral .com

Background
To date, studies on the role played by cigarette smoking in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) remains controversial. The current study evaluated cigarette smoking as a risk factor of POAG and its relationships with vertical cup-to-disc ratio (VCDR), central corneal thickness (CCT) and intraocular pressure (IOP) in a Chinese cohort.

http://bit.ly/10TTkE1

Source: scoop .co.nz

The iPhone and smartphones alike are increasingly becoming a vital tool in treating eye diseases. From having access to the latest medical research at the point of care, to being able to communicate at a moment's notice with physicians and colleagues around the world, medicine is being practiced in a technological age.

http://bit.ly/V5ypIb

Source: gizmodo .com

The advent of cochlear implants in the 1970s and ocular implants in the early 2000s revolutionized hearing and vision loss treatment by circumventing damaged organs with digital prostheses that directly stimulated neural pathways. But these devices have been poor substitutes for the real thing. That is, until now.

http://bit.ly/TsxrJq

Source: technologyreview .com

Of all the diet tricks out there, Tokyo researchers may have hit upon the most devious: just lie to your brain.
A group at the University of Tokyo is developing an augmented reality system that will alter a diner’s perception of the size of food on their plate, and in turn influence how much they eat.

http://bit.ly/UsrTg5

Source: revophth .com

The importance of detecting a relative afferent pupillary defect has been known for some time. Conditions that have been associated with RAPD include glaucoma, macular degeneration, ischemic retinal disease, retinal detachment, vitreous hemorrhage, optic neuritis and radiation damage. In the past, the swinging flashlight test was often performed in the clinic in an attempt to observe this sign, but the test is difficult to perform manually, not standardized and not easily quantifiable. Today, it’s less-often performed.

http://bit.ly/Qd5m8c

Source: ubergizmo .com

The Nihon University has come up with a spanking new kind of blood pressure meter which is capable of measuring one’s blood pressure simply by touching it with a finger. First displayed at Medica 2012 in Dusseldorf, Germany, this particular blood pressure monitor will measure your blood pressure sans the traditional cuff, meaning it is a whole lot easier to deliver readings of blood pressures of babies and elderly people. All it requires is for one to touch a button-shaped small area on the meter, where embedded LEDs and photo transistors in the area will get to work – the former emits light that is then reflected on a finger, where the photo transistors will take over from there and detect whatever reflected light.

http://bit.ly/UVkZOM

Source: pr-inside .com

Dr. David Allamby, Director of FOCUS Clinics, an eye surgery clinic in London, announced that he has performed KAMRA Vision surgery, the proven solution to reading glasses, on two distinguished ophthalmologists. The two surgeons: Dr. Julián Cezón at Clínica Cimo in Seville, Spain, and Dr. Dean Smith at TLC Laser Eye Centers in Toronto, Canada chose KAMRA Vision for their own eyes to treat presbyopia, which is the need for reading glasses. Today, Drs. Cezón and Smith now enjoy quality, natural near vision without the need for reading glasses or contact lenses.

http://bit.ly/SgNAPG

Source: newsfromaoa .org

In a leap forward for AOA and affiliate advocacy efforts designed to make healthy vision a top national health care priority and to expand inclusion of optometrists on medical panels, the Federal Government today released its implementation plan for the new health care law’s pediatric essential eye health benefit. Here’s an overview of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ special regulatory announcement and its expected impact on optometry:

http://bit.ly/RX0QZU

Source: engadget .com

Jetlag and disrupted sleep patterns are conditions we're all too familiar with, right along with flashing lights that claim to remedy them. A new wearable device, tagged Re-Timer, also promises to be of help by mimicking sunlight and resetting the body clock. Reportedly the result of 25 years of sleep research at Australia's Flinders University, it's worn like a pair of glasses and emits soft green light, fooling the part of the brain that regulates your circadian rhythms. When used at different times of the day for specified durations, it claims to advance or delay the clock as desired -- countering the effects of frequent air travel and improving alertness levels. The rechargeable, portable device is safer and more effective than medication, according to its chief inventor Professor Leon Lack. If nothing else, the $260 visor is a bold fashion statement, although it may not be as cool as having robots convert your dreams into art.

http://engt.co/10l0HE6

Source: bmj .com

Accumulating evidence suggests an association between obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) and diabetic retinopathy.1 The mechanism for this is unclear but a previous study suggested that hypertension and high body mass index are strongly implicated.2 Increases in serum vascular endothelial growth factor and other biomarkers3–5 have also recently been shown to be independently predictive for retinopathy. Their role in mediating OSA induced retinopathy, independent of conventional risk factors, is not known. We therefore performed an exploratory study to corroborate the link between OSA with diabetic retinopathy and the association of novel serum biomarkers on OSA induced diabetic retinopathy.

http://bit.ly/10BkJcF

Source: bmj .com

This may seem to be an odd question to be asking, but please hear me out. Back in the early 1970s, when studying General Physiology 101, I was taught that the five cardinal signs of inflammation, expressed classically in Latin, were dolor (pain), calor (heat), rubor (redness), tumor (swelling) and functio laesa (loss of function). This ‘rule of thumb’ worked fine when considering inflammatory reactions of the skin, but I soon learnt that it was of less assistance when considering ocular inflammation. For example, being avascular, the cornea cannot display rubor. Further to this, in Ocular Physiology 101, I was taught that the eye enjoys ‘immune privilege’—an evolutionary adaptation that provides protection from the potentially damaging effects of an inflammatory immune response.

http://bit.ly/QxBXan

Source: gizmag .com

Five years ago, Amazon released one of the most important mobile gadgets of the decade. E-books had been around for years, but few cared until the arrival of the Kindle. Today Amazon's digital reader is now an entire product line.

http://bit.ly/TiE2Fv

Source: facebook .com

Over the past three weeks we have randomly selected a fan to receive FREE registration to attend SECO 2013 (Feb. 27 - Mar. 3.) Be sure to check your messages...we are waiting to hear from the lucky 3! We have 11 more FREE registrations to give away...

http://on.fb.me/UiZJnQ

Source: covdblog.wordpress .com

Today’s guest blogger is Dr. Robin Price. Dr. Price practices in Pleasant Grove, Utah. He and his associate, Dr. Jarrod Davies, are the only Board Certified Fellows of COVD in Utah! In fact, Dr. Price just completed a term on the Board of Directors of COVD. He enjoys working with patients of all ages to help them overcome their visual problems but especially children with learning problems.

http://bit.ly/QXGEKr

Source: engadget .com

While the humble touchscreen has become the standard interface for most smartphones, and capacitive displays make it a painless experience, the folk at start-up Qeexo think things could still be improved. It's developed a technology called FingerSense that could add even more functionality. Essentially, by using a small acoustic sensor, it measures the vibrations as objects tap the screen, and can tell the difference between them. So, for example, a knuckle tap could be used for "right-click."

http://engt.co/U8feR6

Source: newsfromaoa .org

During American Diabetes Month, the AOA is encouraging Americans with diabetes to schedule at least annual dilated eye examinations, depending on their particular examination findings and their optometrist’s recommendations to help detect and even prevent eye and vision disorders that could lead to blindness.

http://bit.ly/T4ycFj

Source: medpagetoday .com

All but one of 12 patients given injections of contaminated bevacizumab (Avastin) prepared by a compounding pharmacy in Florida permanently lost vision in the affected eye, researchers reported here.

http://bit.ly/U8eZp9

Source: medpagetoday .com

The immunosuppressive sirolimus (Rapamune) may help control non-infectious uveitis in some patients, though it won't improve visual acuity, researchers said here.

http://bit.ly/RLWwMZ

Source: kevinmd .com

There’s a lake in Northern Arizona where I jog. I call it “my” lake. It used to be filled to the brim, a playground for ducks, geese, Monarch butterflies, rabbits and squirrels. Over the years when I’d jog in the cold mornings, my lake dried away from drought, measured by bathtub rings on the boulders which surrounded it. Today, rust-colored grass fills the space where clear water once lay. The rings on the boulders are un-countable. Soon, my lake will be gone.

http://bit.ly/SWkHav

Source: emedicinehealth .com

5-Hour Energy shots are linked to 13 deaths and 33 hospitalizations, the FDA confirms.

http://bit.ly/S3rzFG

Source: gigaom .com

By accessing and combining publicly-available datasets, health innovators are letting patients and others view connections between physicians. The so-called “DocGraph,” as one hacktivist calls it, could give patients a valuable window into who their doctors trust.

http://bit.ly/S7g26s

Source: newsfromaoa .org

To coincide with November’s Diabetes Awareness Month, the AOA is proud to announce the launch of its dedicated Diabetes & Eye Health Web page (www.aoa.org/diabetes).

http://bit.ly/SWk0Oq

Source: ubergizmo .com

When it comes to receiving injections, there are two different kinds of people – one who cannot stand pain, while the other kind of person can be prodded in all directions without missing a beat. Well, Fujifilm caters to the former category this time around by working on a micro-needle array which has been touted to be a new drug administration method, where it can actually deliver the drug of choice into the body simply by attaching it onto the skin. There is a micro-needle array which comprises of a sheet arrayed with projections of 100-2000 micrometers. Whenever the sheet itself is placed on the skin surface, the drug will be injected into the skin from the projections, where it will then be delivered into the body.

http://bit.ly/SR7PSO

Source: contactlensjournal .com

Abstract
In addition to improving oxygen permeability, modern silicone-hydrogel (SiHy) soft contact lenses (SCLs) exceed a limiting diffusive ion permeability to aqueous sodium chloride. Below the ion-permeability threshold, siloxane-based SCLs are prone to bind against the corneal epithelium. Salt permeability is argued to reflect indirectly water hydraulic permeability. However, no quantitative explanation is available to date for a threshold salt permeability.

http://bit.ly/SR7krP

Source: healio .com

Accommodation and binocular vergence are the key ophthalmological factors that significantly influence asthenopia after viewing 3-D displays, according to a study.

http://bit.ly/RGUii4

Source: gizmodo .com

If you like to hold your iPad right up by next to your eyeballs because you are basically blind, you might someday have some relief. Apple has a new patent that changes the size of the display based on the distance of your face from the screen.

http://bit.ly/UuoHOY