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New eye testing protocol identifies glaucoma 4 years earlier
A new glaucoma testing method was developed using small dots of light with varying size and intensity to detect glaucoma 4 years earlier than current techniques, according to a press release from the University of New South Wales.
An inability to see the dots of light in the test indicates blind spots in the eye and early loss of peripheral vision, according to the release.
The technology involves visual field analysis using a pattern of various sized spots, taking into account that the eye processes visual information that is not in the central vision differently.
A study assessing 13 patients using the technique for visual field testing has been published in the journal Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics.
The design team is currently using the test to assess up to 30 more patients at the UNSW Centre for Eye Health and would like to conduct a larger clinical trial to determine its accuracy.
The design has been patented in the U.S. and European Union, according to the release.