Traditional diagnostic methods for glaucoma include measuring the pressure in the eye and testing peripheral vision. Sperling's invention goes a step beyond, and can detect glaucoma in patients who have no inkling that the disease is threatening their vision. The device works by a series of intricate steps that assess the patient's response to the color blue. Glaucoma patients lose their ability to recognize the color blue before becoming unable to detect other colors. Detecting the patient's response to blue is crucial in diagnosing glaucoma early, Sperling said, because some patients don't fit a typical glaucoma profile.
Some individuals have high pressure and no glaucoma.
Others have the disease although their pressure is low. To date, Sperling has tested his new device on himself, his research assistant, and laboratory animals. Human patient trials are set to begin later this year. Return to UT-Houston News Releases Menu . Return to UT-Houston Public Affairs .