title: Development of a laser controlled device to modulate intraocular pressure.
abstract: The current standard of treatment for glaucoma is trabeculectomy. The use of glaucoma drainage devices has increased in recent years since its efficacy and safety was established as it provides an alternative surgical option. A downfall of these devices is the lack of proper flow rate control. Areas covered: In this paper we describe a glaucoma drainage device regulator that has already been protoyped and undergone initial testing. It consists of an implantable device with a semipermeable membrane that is used during glaucoma surgery and can be opened with either thermal or photodisruptive laser to adjust the amount of flow precisely and non-invasively, addressing the current difficulties of glaucoma surgeries. A literature search was conducted using MEDLINE and manuscript references for studies published in English between 2000 and 2015 using the terms glaucoma, trabeculectomy and glaucoma drainage devices. Expert commentary: The GDDR device can decrease surgical risk and allow surgeons to post-operatively adjust flow as clinically needed using a non-invasive method. Further testing is planned to substantiate these initial results and evaluate the device's biocompatibility, tunability and efficacy.
authors.affiliation: a University of Colorado School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology , Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Institute , Aurora , CO , USA.|b Galaxy Ophthalmics , Denver , CO , USA.
authors.forename: Jeffrey L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Olson
authors.affiliation: a University of Colorado School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology , Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Institute , Aurora , CO , USA.|b Galaxy Ophthalmics , Denver , CO , USA.|c Department of Ophthalmology , Springfield Clinic , Springfield , IL , USA.
authors.forename: Ramanath
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bhandari
authors.affiliation: a University of Colorado School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology , Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Institute , Aurora , CO , USA.
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Groman-Lupa
authors.affiliation: a University of Colorado School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology , Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Institute , Aurora , CO , USA.
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Santos-Cantu
authors.affiliation: a University of Colorado School of Medicine, Department of Ophthalmology , Rocky Mountain Lions Eye Institute , Aurora , CO , USA.
authors.forename: Raul
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Velez-Montoya
mesh_terms: D005901:Glaucoma / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*; D014130:Trabeculectomy / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Glaucoma; glaucoma drainage device regulator; glaucoma drainage devices; thermal or photodisruptive Laser; trabeculectomy