January 8th, 2008
Glue for eye tears wins sales approval
HyperBranch Medical of Durham, NC has won CE approval for its OcuSeal liquid ocular bandage, meaning it can be sold outside the U.S.
OcuSeal is a liquid hydrogel polymer which becomes a transparent gel 30 seconds after being brushed on to a wet surface.
This makes it ideal for repairing tears in the cornea. It can be brushed into just a corner of the lens or across it.
The illustration above, from a 2006 article in the Review of Opthalmology, shows OcuSeal in action. The corneal cut is in the upper right corner of the picture.
It’s not a permanent fix. Epithelial cells slough off and are replaced over time. The gel bandage would also slough off, and hopefully leave a healed cornea.
Best of all, the hydrogel formula can be adjusted for use on other types of wounds.
In a press release, CEO John Conn said HyperBranch expects its hydrogels to be given CE approval this year for use on hernias and the dura, which is the tissue surrounding the spinal cord.
We’re talking here of repairing some of the most sensitive parts of the body, essential and moist environments where sutures just won’t make a permanent fix.
Time will tell, but hydrogel technology could be the start of a real revolution in the treatment of many wounds which defy healing today.
Dana Blankenhorn has been a business journalist since 1978, and has covered technology since 1982. He launched the Interactive Age Daily, the first daily coverage of the Internet to launch with a magazine, in September 1994. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.
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