Physicists see eye to eye with ophthalmologists

In the time it takes to read this article 60 adults and five children worldwide will have gone blind. Yet 80% of blindness is preventable. Glaucoma, cataracts and diabetes are among the leading causes of blindness in adults and can be successfully treated if caught soon enough. Early diagnosis currently relies on regular screening programmes – which can be expensive and labour intensive – or an a well-timed visit to the optician. According to some estimates over half the adults who have glaucoma are unaware that they are suffering from the condition. However, physicists are developing a wide range of tools and techniques to spot disease well before it affects vision.