Eye Damage Detected in Tears by Color-changing Sensor

We expect a significant potential impact of this biosensor for evaluating the eye in post-surgical patients as well as trauma patients,” said study leader Dipanjan Pan, a University of Illinois professor of bioengineering and the Carle Illinois College of Medicine. Previous work by the group found that ascorbic acid concentration in tears is a good measure for determining extent of injury to the eye. Ascorbic acid, also known as vitamin C, is found in high concentrations in the fluid inside the eye, called aqueous humor, but normally has very low concentration in tears. “Deep damage to the cornea from trauma or incisional surgery releases aqueous humor into the tear film, which increases the concentration of ascorbic acid in tears to a measurably higher level than that found in normal eyes,” said Pan, also affiliated with the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at Illinois. “OjoGel offers a unique biosensing technique that provides an effective and simple method for testing ascorbic acid in a point-of-care delivery system.” Pan’s group collaborated with Dr. Leanne Labriola, an ophthalmologist at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, to develop OjoGel. “OjoGel technology may allow for faster identification of serious eye injuries,” Labriola said. “With a rapid point-of-care device such as this, anyone in an emergency department could perform a test and know within minutes if the patient needs urgent surgery to save their vision.” https://www.technologynetworks.com/diagnostics/news/color-changing-sensor-indicates-urgent-need-for-vision-saving-surgery-308426?utm_campaign=Newsletter_TN_BreakingScienceNews&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=65636534&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_1iQgpchQe3XJ2zl0Jxc7uF7QM4oixZWQrmrDE2fXhsLGJBG0nW6t9oBOQh0m2zm7JYB4gNY_FXXxk3eQKPjOfwOW9_A&_hsmi=65636534