Translational Devices, Technologies, and Medicines in Clinical Ophthalmology

Over the last few decades, there has been a rapid advance in the technologies contributing to clinical ophthalmology ranging from novel hardware and software to new imaging and laser modalities with the emergence of nanotechnologies and drug innovations. The stated aim of translational research is to apply discoveries from basic science to enhance medical practice and human health, with many of these already having a major impact. We are presently witnessing an array of developments emerging on the horizon that have the potential to enhance patient care, improve diagnosis, and deliver treatments. Wearable sensors for health and activity monitoring are growing in popularity with a multitude of devices, such as Fitbit and Withings, coming to market able to monitor vitals and measure activity levels and calorific consumption and expenditure. Their scope is now being extended to monitor disease as well. The application of contact lens sensors in ocular diagnostics offers a minimally invasive platform for constant monitoring of pertinent disease indices [1]. Advances in materials, electronics, and microfabrication techniques have expanded the remit of this medical device from a visual corrective aid in isolation to one that has diagnostic potential. The possibilities of its application have even caught the interests of Google, Novartis, and Microsoft [2–4]. Within this issue, S. C. Xu and colleagues review the applications of contact lens sensors (CLS) in detecting 24-hour intraocular pressure with its potential to change our approach and understanding in glaucoma. CLS have also been used to quantify blink rate and limbal strain and measure the circadian rhythm in a variety of disease states including normal tension glaucoma and thyroid eye disease. The ever-increasing power of computational hardware (as described by Moore's Law) coupled with accelerating advances in software engineering has allowed swift evolution of this technology in ophthalmology. This special issue provides a report on an automated diabetic retinopathy detection software system using singular spectrum analysis to focus on microaneurysms. When applied to over 17,000 retinal images across different racial groups from six different countries, the authors report high levels of performance and the potential for scalability in diverse populations. Computational power also underpins virtual reality modeling and simulation has been used with success in nonmedical domains such as aerospace and the military. Inroads with this technology are now being made in medicine with cancer and surgical applications [5–7]. In this issue, E. Lanchares et al. describe a finite element model of …