Diabetes Discovery

Reported May 2007

SANTA CLARA, Calif. (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- Diabetes affects over 20 million Americans. It can cause many serious health problems, including blindness. Treatment for eye problems is possible, but can be extremely painful. Now, thanks to chemical physics, there is a new laser technology, called PASCAL, can treat patients in just five minutes, and virtually pain-free.

Chris Ladas has type 2 diabetes and suffers from blurred vision, or diabetic retinopathy, because of it. Diabetic retinopathy blocks blood vessels in the retina and causes blurry vision.

The old method of treatment consisted of retinal surgeons using a laser to treat the disease. Some patients describe it as being poked in the eye with a sharp object for 45 minutes. Ladas describes the experience, "It was very stressful, very difficult, and in some cases it was quite painful."

Currently used by more than 150 doctors across the country, PASCAL delivers rapid laser pulses in patterns, shooting 50 laser pulses all at once. The laser burns away weakened blood vessels on the retina on the back of the eye before they burst, saving vision for millions. David Mordaunt, Ph.D., a chemical physicist and CEO of OptiMedica in Santa Clara, California, explains the benefits of PASCAL technology, "Fifty laser spots can be delivered in the time it would take traditionally one laser spot to be delivered."

Ladas has started using PASCAL technology to help treat his blurred vision. He may need treatments for life in order to save his sight, but the technology makes living with the disease easier. Ladas told Ivanhoe, "It was probably about 90 percent less painful than the previous treatments."

The American Association of Physicists in Medicine and the Optical Society of America contributed to the information contained in the TV portion of this report.

Click here to Go Inside This Science or contact:

OptiMedica Corporation
Santa Clara, CA 95054
408-850-8600 or 888-850-1230
info@optimedica.com

American Association of Physicists in Medicine
Ben Stein
301-209-3088
bstein@aip.org

Optical Society of America
Washington, DC 20036-1023br /> 2-223-8130
http://www.osa.org
info@osa.org

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