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New Sleep Mask Helps Diabetics Keep Their Eyesight

by Vishnuprasad on Dec 19 2015 5:36 PM

New Sleep Mask Helps Diabetics Keep Their Eyesight
Diabetic retinopathy is the most common cause of blindness caused by diabetes. Diabetes reduces the supply of oxygen to the retina.
The retina is especially oxygen-starved at night. In response to this demand, the body signals for additional blood vessels to be formed in this region. These new blood vessels are very weak and the leaking of these blood vessels eventually leads macular edema, which destroys a patient’s eyesight.

PolyPhotonix has developed a solution that intervenes in this process by preventing a patient’s eyes from dark-adapting while the patient is asleep. Dark adaptation: the physical and chemical adjustments of the eye that make vision possible in relative darkness. These adjustments include dilation of the pupil and increased activity of rods in the retina.

The Noctura 400 Sleep Mask continuously shines light at the user’s closed eyelids. The color and brightness of this light successfully prevents the rods from dark-adapting. Thus the mask ensures the patient’s quality of sleep. The device is CE-approved and is currently undergoing Phase III clinical trials.



Source-Medindia


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