Glaucoma, a major cause of blindness, is conventionally treated with medications or surgical implants, both of The glaucoma drainage device is built with microactuators that vibrate when a magnetic field is introduced. Source: Hyowon Lee, Purdue Universitywhich offer varying degrees of success. Implantable glaucoma drainage devices represent an emerging option, but only about half of these devices remain operational after five years because of biofouling.

A new drainage device engineered by researchers from Maine’s Howard Hughes Medical Institute and Purdue University combats this problem by clearing itself of bio-buildup. Microactuators incorporated into the device vibrate when a magnetic field is externally introduced. The vibrations shake loose the biomaterials that have built up in the drainage tube.

Flow resistance can be varied, which allows the drainage technology to customize treatment for each patient at different stages of glaucoma with varying degrees of pressure buildup inside the eye.

The proof-of-concept for smart self-clearing glaucoma drainage devices is described in Microsystems and Nanoengineering.