New Eye Mask Could Prevent Blindness In Diabetic Patients
A new revolutionary eye mask that could prevent blindness in diabetic patients is being developed in County Durham.
A new revolutionary eye mask that could prevent blindness in diabetic patients is being developed in County Durham.
The Noctura 400 mask could help people suffering from diabetic retinopathy, which causes cysts in the eyes and can eventually lead to blindness.
It’s worn while the patient sleeps, by shining a green light into their closed eyes, which gives the eyes the extra oxygen they need.
Lorraine Helliwell from Longframlington is one of the people who’ve been trialling the mask and says it’s helped reverse her condition completely.
Despite having symptoms, within six weeks of wearing the mask, the eyes were free of any sign of the condition.
She said: “The implications of my sight deteriorating are really quite horrific.
“Where I live, I need the car to get pretty much anywhere.
“I play the piano, I enjoy sewing and doing craftwork.
“I’ve only had a positive impact from the mask.
“It’s really changed my life for the better.”
The mask has been developed by Sedgefield-based company Polyphotonix, who create light treatments for health conditions.
It was recently named one of the most important innovations in the world.
Last week, the company’s CEO Richard Kirk was named Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year by Business Quarter magazine.
He said: “When you wear the mask at night, it prevents the continuation of the disease and in some cases, is reversing some of the conditions.
“So it’s proving to be a very effective treatment indeed.
“People are numbers in clinical trials, you don’t get to meet the individuals.
“But now that we’ve actually made the device commercially available, we’re meeting all our patients.
“It’s fantastic when you get these real human stories.”
It’s estimated the new device could save the NHS around £1 billion a year in alternative treatments for the condition.
However, it could be some time before the mask is rolled out soon, as it has to face rigorous NHS testing before it can be implemented.
Patients will be able to source the mask from select pharmacies from next month.