An Indo-American engineer and an ophthalmologist are developing a portable sensor, OcuCheck that can easily and inexpensively determine the extent of an eye injury.
The device has been perfected by bio-engineering professor, Dipanjan Pan attached with the University of Illinois and Carle ophthalmologist, Dr. Leanne Labriola.
The OcuCheck measures the Vitamin C in the fluids which leaks out in the event of an eye injury. Higher concentration of Vitamin C in the fluids which is leaking out from the site of the eye injury indicates that the eye injury is more severe.
The sensor can speed up the efforts to assess the severity of the injury at the accident site. It is especially useful in the rural areas where there is a lack of ophthalmology specialists or in the battlefield.
Describing the working of the sensor, Dr. Labriola explained that the ocular tear film, the viscous fluid that coats the eyeball contains low levels of Vitamin C while the deeper parts of the eye contain Vitamin C in a higher concentration.
If the injury is superficial, the vitamin C levels in the fluids will be lower. A deeper injury will lead to a higher concentration of Vitamin C in the fluids leaking out of the wound.
