South Dakota Patent of the Month – April 2025
A new wearable eye device from Balance Ophthalmics may revolutionize how glaucoma is treated. Instead of drugs or surgery, it uses controlled pressure to improve blood flow to the eye, aiming to reduce intraocular pressure and prevent vision loss.
The technology is protected under U.S. Patent No. 12,279,825, titled “Apparatus and methods to adjust ocular blood flow.” The system includes an eye cover that forms a sealed space around the eye. It uses a connected pressure source and sensors to safely alter that pressure in response to real-time feedback from the patient.
A Drug-Free Approach to Eye Pressure
By targeting ocular blood flow, the device aims to relieve pressure inside the eye without invasive procedures. Early clinical trials show promising results, especially for patients with normal-tension glaucoma who are often harder to treat. Over 98 percent of tested eyes achieved at least a 20 percent drop in intraocular pressure, according to company data.
FDA Recognition Confirms Innovation
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted the device De Novo classification, a rare approval reserved for new types of medical technology. That makes Balance Ophthalmics’ invention the first of its kind cleared for this use in the United States.
If widely adopted, this technology could change how doctors manage one of the leading causes of irreversible blindness.
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