A search for medical needs in eye clinics led Stanford Biodesign fellows to develop an implantable neurostimulator that painlessly increases natural tear production. But this is a good thing for the more than 20 million Americans who suffer from a painful condition in which the lacrimal glands don’t create enough tears to lubricate the surface of the eye. To help these patients, Ackermann, PhD, a former Stanford Biodesign fellow, and his new company are testing two tiny devices that stimulate natural tear production by delivering micro-electrical pulses to the lacrimal gland. One model is inserted into the mucous membrane in the nasal cavity, and the other is inserted under the skin below the eyebrow. Tear delivery rates can be adjusted manually with a wireless controller.
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