SINGAPORE National Eye Centre (SNEC) researchers are testing a new technology, touted for its ability to accurately detect eye ailments more quickly than current methods.

If the results prove positive, leading to its use in clinics, patients suffering from conditions such eye allergies and dry eye can look forward to eye assessments that are quicker and cheaper.

"Now that we have established that the technology is effective and practical, we are testing it extensively to ensure it will work in a clinical setting," said Professor Roger Beuerman, senior scientific director at the Singapore Eye Research Institute, the research arm of SNEC.

Professor Beuerman is leading a team to look into the technology called DropArray, which unlike tests being used now, is able to immediately diagnose a range of eye conditions by identifying the proteins in a mere two microlitres of tear liquid - much less than a single tear drop.

Tests currently used to diagnose conditions such as itchy, watery or dry eyes require larger amounts of tear fluid, which are then analysed in a laboratory, making it time consuming and expensive. Eyes which are constantly itchy or watery could be due to allergies, while dry eyes is a common condition which occurs when glands around the eyes produce too little tear liquid to maintain enough lubrication and protection.

According to Curiox Biosystems which developed the DropArray technology, lab tests using DropArray cut testing time by 60% and consummable costs by nearly 90%. Curiox is a company that was spun off from A*STAR (Agency for Science, Technology and Research) unit, the Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology.

"Together with Curiox, we are embarking on the development of a new point-of-care platform that can be used in the doctor¡¯s office, providing rapid assessment of a patient¡¯s condition," said Professor Beuerman. "We are excited over the prospect of developing new clinical diagnostic tests and methods that have the potential to raise the bar in patient care."

 Reproduced from Outram Now, a bi-monthly publication of Singapore General Hospital