Glaucoma 

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Focused Ultrasound Therapy

Focused ultrasound is a noninvasive, therapeutic technology with the potential to improve the quality of life and decrease the cost of care for patients with glaucoma. This innovative technology focuses beams of ultrasound energy precisely and accurately on the ciliary body in the eye without damaging surrounding normal tissue.

How it Works
There are a couple of ways in which focused ultrasound is being investigated to address glaucoma.

With the Eye Tech Care device, the focused ultrasound produces precise coagulation of a portion of the ciliary body, which decreases the intraocular pressure by reducing the production of aqueous humor. The result is a non-incisional treatment of glaucoma. The procedure does need to be done in the operating room, as anesthesia is needed.

A second mechanism of action is found in the device made by EyeSonix, which treats open angle glaucoma. The focused ultrasound energy is applied at several locations around the eye, which offer a mild inflammatory trigger to the trabecular meshwork and anterior chamber angle resulting in enhanced drainage of the aqueous humor.

Advantages
The primary options for treatment of glaucoma includes a variety of medications, trabeculoplasty or more extensive surgery that may include implantation of a foreign body into the eye.

For certain patients, focused ultrasound could provide a noninvasive alternative to surgery with less risk of complications – such as surgical wound healing, infection, or implantation of foreign bodies into the eye – at a lower cost. It can reach the desired target without damaging surrounding tissue and is repeatable, if necessary.

Clinical Trials

There are currently no focused ultrasound clinical trials recruiting patients with glaucoma. 

See a list of treatment sites >
See a list of clinical trials sites >
See a list of laboratory research sites >

Regulatory Approval and Reimbursement 

The Eye Tech Care device has regulatory approvals for use in Europe, the Middle East, China, Latin America (Mexico), and multiple locations in South-East Asia (Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Philippines, Indonesia, and Vietnam).

See a video about EyeTechCare’s UCP Treatment > 

Notable Papers

Almobarak FA, Alrubean A, Alsarhani WK, Aljenaidel A, Osman EA. Two-Year Outcomes of Ultrasound Cyclo Plasty as a First Procedure in Glaucoma. Semin Ophthalmol. 2023 Jul;38(5):482-489. doi: 10.1080/08820538.2023.2170715. Epub 2023 Feb 10. PMID: 36762779 

Bolek B, Wylęgała A, Wylęgała E. Ultrasound ciliary plasty in glaucoma treatment: A long-term follow-up study. Acta Ophthalmol. 2023 May;101(3):293-300. doi: 10.1111/aos.15290. Epub 2022 Nov 30.

Almobarak FA, Alrubean A, Alsarhani WK, Aljenaidel A, Osman EA. Two-Year Outcomes of Ultrasound Cyclo Plasty as a First Procedure in Glaucoma. Semin Ophthalmol. 2023 Feb 10:1-8. doi: 10.1080/08820538.2023.2170715.

Figus M, Palma A, Covello G, Agnifili L, Posarelli C. Ultrasound Cyclo Plasty in Patients with Open Angle Glaucoma and High Myopia. J Glaucoma. 2023 Feb 10. doi: 10.1097/IJG.0000000000002185.

Bolek B, Wylęgała A, Wylęgała E. Ultrasound ciliary plasty in glaucoma treatment: A long-term follow-up study. Acta Ophthalmol. 2022 Nov 30. doi: 10.1111/aos.15290.

Chen D, Guo XJ, Luo SK, Lu Y, Tang XR. Efficacy and safety of high-intensity focused ultrasound cyclo-plasty in glaucoma. BMC Ophthalmol. 2022 Oct 7;22(1):401. doi: 10.1186/s12886-022-02622-5.

Almobarak FA, Alrubean A, Alsarhani WK, Aljenaidel A, Osman E. Ultrasound Cyclo Plasty After Failed Glaucoma Surgery: Outcomes and Complications. Ophthalmol Ther. 2022 Aug;11(4):1601-1610. doi: 10.1007/s40123-022-00538-3. Epub 2022 Jun 25.

Ikoma T, Shibata T, Shibata N, Mito T, Kubo E, Sasaki H. Acute cataract by a high-intensity focused ultrasound procedure: a case report. BMC Ophthalmol. 2022 Apr 9;22(1):164. doi: 10.1186/s12886-022-02390-2.

Abdullatif AM, Ahmed El-Saied HM. Various modalities of cyclodestruction in non-refractory glaucoma: a comparative study. Int Ophthalmol. 2021 May 19. doi: 10.1007/s10792-021-01893-z.

Rouland JF, Aptel F. Efficacy and Safety of Ultrasound Cycloplasty for Refractory Glaucoma: A 3-Year Study. J Glaucoma. 2021 May 1;30(5):428-435. doi: 10.1097/IJG.0000000000001796.

Luo J, Liu Z, Zhao L, Zhou Y, Kong L, Sun Y. Postoperative complicated peripheral cortical cataract after ultrasound cycloplasty: a case report. BMC Ophthalmol. 2021 Jan 7;21(1):16. doi: 10.1186/s12886-020-01743-z.

Nagar A, Daas A, Danieliute L, Alaghband P, Yu-Wai-Man C, Amon A, Galvis E, Lim KS. Effect of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HiFU) treatment on intraocular pressure and aqueous humour dynamics: 12 -months results. Eye (Lond). 2020 Nov 6. doi: 10.1038/s41433-020-01260-9.

Yu Q, Liang Y, Ji F, Yuan Z. Comparison of ultrasound cycloplasty and transscleral cyclophotocoagulation for refractory glaucoma in Chinese population. BMC Ophthalmol. 2020 Sep 29;20(1):387. doi: 10.1186/s12886-020-01655-y.

Anand N, Klug E, Nirappel A, Solá-Del Valle D. A Review of Cyclodestructive Procedures for the Treatment of Glaucoma. Semin Ophthalmol. 2020 Sep 16:1-15. doi: 10.1080/08820538.2020.1810711.

Marques RE, Sousa DC, Vandewalle E, Somers A, Melamed S, Nardi M, Figus M, Stalmans I, Abegao Pinto L. The effect of glaucoma treatment using high-intensity focused ultrasound on total and corneal astigmatism: a prospective multicentre study. Acta Ophthalmol. 2020 May 18. doi: 10.1111/aos.14467.

Marques RE, Ferreira NP, Sousa DC, Barata AD, Sens P, Marques-Neves C, Abegão Pinto L. High intensity focused ultrasound for glaucoma: 1-year results from a prospective pragmatic study. Eye (Lond). 2020 Apr 21. doi: 10.1038/s41433-020-0878-0.

Leshno A, Rubinstein Y, Singer R, Sher I, Rotenstreich Y, Melamed S, Skaat A. High-intensity Focused Ultrasound Treatment in Moderate Glaucoma Patients: Results of a 2-year Prospective Clinical Trial. J Glaucoma. 2020 Mar 24. doi: 10.1097/IJG.0000000000001497.

Hugo J, Matonti F, Beylerian M, Zanin E, Aptel F, Denis D. Safety and efficacy of high-intensity focused ultrasound in severe or refractory glaucoma. Eur J Ophthalmol. 2019 Sep 25:1120672119874594. doi: 10.1177/1120672119874594.

Rivero-Santana A, Pérez-Silguero D, Pérez-Silguero MA, Encinas-Pisa P. Pupil Ovalization and Accommodation Loss after High-intensity Focused Ultrasound Treatment for Glaucoma: A Case Report. J Curr Glaucoma Pract. 2019 May-Aug;13(2):77-78. doi: 10.5005/jp-journals-10078-1256.

Click here for additional references from PubMed.

International Approval
Clinical Trials