Small Device, Big Name

Stretching is the truth

ADMiER uses a surface acoustic wave – sometimes described as a “mini earthquake” – to evaluate the physical conduct of a tear droplet. Over a matter of milliseconds, the tear’s fluid behaviors are analyzed, producing a set of measurements related to its extensional viscosity – or “stretchiness.”

“Our team discovered that tears from people with DED have altered stretchiness behaviors, which was the first time this has ever been shown,” explains Downie. “Using this approach, we are able to identify when tears are healthy or dry, and how they perform on the surface of the eye.”

Up to now, the only way of comprehensively diagnosing DED has involved a complex series of tests which assess various aspects of tear health, including the health of your tear glands, the salt concentration in your tears, and their rates of production and evaporation. The complexity of these tests – and the expertise required to administer them – has rendered DED a subjective and often inaccurate science.

Studies in Australia suggest the lack of uniformity in testing and grading invariably result in inconsistent clinical care (1). “Our research suggests that as many as 80 percent of patients never get an accurate diagnosis,” adds Downie.

The costs of accuracy

Downie’s team estimates that ADMiER will be highly economical to integrate into eye care clinics, reducing the financial burden of DED diagnosis.

“This device will be of huge value to any optometry or ophthalmology clinic, as well as not-for-profits involved in eye care, like the Lions or Rotary Clubs,” says Sumeer Singh, a researcher in Downie’s team. “If you add up all the tests required for an accurate dry eye diagnosis, ADMiER will obviously be better value as a single solution – let alone what it will save through better-informed treatments and patient monitoring.”

To date, ADMiER has been tested in two prospective clinical studies, with the collected data showing the device delivering high accuracy. “All the volunteers in the studies said the same thing,” says Singh. “That dry eyes really affected their lives, and they would love to see a way of simply diagnosing dry eyes to help them quickly and easily get the right treatment.”

Downie’s research has been supported by a number of major research grants, including the American Academy of Optometry’s Korb-Exford Dry Eye Career Development Award, and a five-year Development grant from Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council. Though continuing to explore different paths to commercialization and investment, Downie says her top priority is to see the technology reach the people who most need it.

“I believe ADMiER has the capacity to become the global standard for clinical tear assessment,” she says. “But ultimately, the reason my team has been doing this work for nearly a decade remains the same: to help people suffering from dry eye disease get an accurate clinical diagnosis, which will inform a treatment plan that helps them to live more productive and pain-free lives.”