New journal article on SPECTRALIS in space
A recent cover article in Ocular Surgery News, Monitoring long-term effects on vision in microgravity a priority for NASA’s future flight to Mars, highlights NASA’s initiative to understand vision loss due to microgravity. NASA has allied with thought leaders in ophthalmology to identify the cause of structural damage caused by prolonged exposure to zero gravity.
According to Christian Otto, MD, the lead scientist of the NASA Vision Impairment and Intracranial Pressure (VIIP) program, to date, 48 US astronauts have flown on the International Space Station (ISS) and 33 have been examined for eye changes. So far, 22 have confirmed signs of VIIP. Dr. Otto is overseeing a study that requires astronauts on the ISS to conduct regular exams that include systemic tests and eye exams including: funduscopy, visual acuity, Amsler grid, contrast sensitivity, tonometry, and OCT scans with the SPECTRALIS OCT system. John Berdahl, MD, founder and CEO of Equinox LLC, states that
“Solving this problem [vision impairment in space] should be a top priority for ophthalmology and is a top priority for NASA and its teams.”
