5 Things We Learned This Month:

1. First time macular laser training just got a lot better
How do you train ophthalmologists to use a laser for the first time? A light box and a 35 mm slide could be all you need…
 
2. There’s an app for strabismus screening
Spotting strabismus can be a challenge – particularly in young children. A smartphone app should simplify strabismus screening and might even pave the way for telemedicine.
 
3. DRAM2 is essential for photoreceptor survival
Expressed in the RPE and photoreceptors, DRAM2 plays important roles in autophagy, and mutations in the DRAM2 gene have been found to be behind several heritable cases of adult-onset blindness.
 
4. Photovoltaic pixels could be the next big thing in retinal prostheses
The current generation of retinal prostheses need wires and provide VA in the range of ~20/1000. An international team of researchers reckon their wireless photovoltaic pixel-based implant can do better.
 
5. Corneal tattooing (with ink and lasers) could treat presbyopia
Researchers at AMO have used a femtosecond laser to create presbyopia-correcting intracorneal rings in porcine eyes that are then filled with corneal tattoo ink. A corneal inlay without the inlay?