Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that can cause blindness. With all types of glaucoma, the nerve connecting the eye to the brain is damaged, usually due to high eye pressure. The drainage canal of the eye becomes blocked and too much fluid in the eye increases pressure in the eye which causes damage to the optic nerve. The most common type of glaucoma (open-angle glaucoma) often has no symptoms other than slow vision loss. Angle-closure glaucoma, although rare, is a medical emergency and its symptoms include eye pain with nausea and sudden visual disturbance. Treatment includes eye drops, medications, and surgery.

Some helpful/educational articles include:

Harvard - Drug-Dispensing Contact Lens Effectively Lowers Eye Pressure in Pre-Clinical Glaucoma Model

Johns Hopkins - Implant Offers an Alternative to Eye Drops for Glaucoma Patients

FDA - FDA Permits Marketing of Device That Senses Optimal Time to Check Patient's Eye Pressure

AOP - FDA Approves Dissolvable Glaucoma Implant

Medical Design and Outsourcing - Mount Sinai Researchers Use Breakthrough Technology to Detect Glaucoma Progression

Medical Express - Innovative Optical Concept Offers Simple, Affordable, Fast Glaucoma Screening Test

BioSpace - International Study Shows Favorable 3-Year Results of 2 Glaukos Istent Trabecular Micro-Bypass Stents as Initial Treatment for Naive Glaucoma

NIH - NIH-Funded Study Identifies Stem Cells in Optic Nerve (discovery opens possibilities for understanding glaucoma and new therapeutic strategies)

NIH - Acceptance of a Smartphone-Based Visual Field Screening Platform for Glaucoma: Pre-Post Study

Medical Design and Outsourcing - Smartphone-Based Device Could Detect Glaucoma