New Technique to Detect Eye Diseases


Scientists in Osaka, Japan, claim to have developed a new lab technique that could detect eye diseases occurring in the cornea. The scientists have published research in Archives of Ophthalmology that suggests that stimulating a polymerase chain reaction on corneal cell scrapings could reveal whether eyes are infected much more rapidly than is currently achieved using standard diagnostic methods. The researchers claim that using the new technique could lead to increased levels of early diagnosis of numerous eye problems, including corneal ulcers, that could safeguard the quality of vision of thousands of people worldwide.

Researchers at the Kinki University school of Medicine found that they were able to detect eye diseases in under two hours using their new lab method - slashing the conventional diagnosis waiting period of 48 hours.

However, the researchers found that the new technique was more likely to give a false positive result and was not as accurate as incubating cells to form a sample bacterial culture. The researchers, nonetheless, claim that the new technology could be used to create quick diagnostic kits that could be used in busy eye clinics to screen for eye disease and better improve early detection levels of serious eye conditions.

11 May 2010

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